Against the vast steppes and rugged mountains of Mongolia, three families navigate a world reshaped by climate change, globalization, and modernization. One family, once proud horse-breeders, confronts the collapse of their way of life after losing their herd to devastating dzuds, harsh winters intensified by climate change. Forced to leave the open steppe, they adapt to life in the crowded Ger districts of Ulaanbaatar, carrying fragments of their heritage with them. In the Altai Mountains, eagle hunter Borkut faces a generational tension between tradition and modernity. His older son drifts toward city life, questioning the relevance of their ancestral ways, while his younger son remains deeply connected to the eagles, a fragile thread of continuity. A third family embodies the nomadic spirit at its purest, constantly moving across the steppes, resisting the pressures of a world in rapid change. Their journey highlights resilience, courage, and adaptability, reflecting the struggle to preserve a vanishing way of life. Through these families, Spirit Animal transcends cultural portraiture to pose urgent questions: as nomadic ways of life disappear, are we losing our connection to nature? This profound documentary meditates on survival, identity, and the compromises demanded by global forces, offering an intimate and visually striking exploration of Mongolia’s nomadic life at a moment of profound transformation while at the same time reflecting on what it means to remain human in a transforming world.

Inês von Bonhorst & Yuri Pirondi
Inês von Bonhorst and Yuri Pirondi are award-winning directors whose work has been internationally recognized for its poetic originality, aesthetic rigor, and ability to blur the boundaries between documentary, fiction, and contemporary artistic practices. Von Bonhorst earned degrees in Film from the University of Westminster and Multimedia from the University of Kent. Pirondi trained in Italy and consolidated his career in London, working as a director and cinematographer on numerous independent films and projects. Their joint creative practice is distinguished by artistic boldness, cross-disciplinary dialogue, and the political and poetic relevance of their narratives, positioning them as singular voices in contemporary international cinema. The duo has had five films screened onboard TAP Air Portugal, reaching a global audience and receiving First Prize at the Altitudes/TAP Portugal Festival. Their latest film, Spirit Animal, which has already received awards at festivals in Italy, will be their fourth film to screen at Foça Film Days (The River-FFG2019; Cops, Robbers and Old People-FFG2021, Cavallerizzo-FFG2022).