“Mammoth” directed by Vahram Mkhitaryan
What is “Mammoth” about?
Cișmichioi is one of the southernmost villages in Moldova. In 1986, it became the center of global paleontology when numerous prehistoric animal fossils—some dating back 10 million years—were discovered there. In the 1990s, a large billboard that once marked the uniqueness of the site was stolen, and today, this natural monument resembles more of a neglected dumping ground than a tourist attraction.
Dima is a young father of three, born and raised in Cișmichioi. He married a Ukrainian woman from a neighboring village and, unlike many young Gagauz who have emigrated to Russia or Turkey, he has no intention of leaving. Dima believes that restoring Cișmichioi’s former glory as a site associated with mammoths, mastodons, and deinotheriums could attract tourists and put the village back on the map—across Europe and beyond. During a trip to the ravine with his sons Deniz and Demir, they stumble upon the bones of an unidentified creature...
Join us for this short journey into the heart of Moldova and the world of prehistoric animals!
The film was produced as part of the project “Moldova. Renewal.