Munkhjargal Nyamdavaa

Ulzii, un adolescent d’un quartier défavorisé d’Oulan-Bator, est déterminé à gagner un concours de sciences pour obtenir une bourse d’étude. Sa mère, illettrée, trouve un emploi à la campagne les abandonnant lui, son frère et sa sœur, en dépit de la dureté de l’hiver. Déchiré entre la nécessité de s’occuper de sa fratrie et sa volonté d’étudier pour le concours, Ulzii n’a pas le choix : il doit accepter de se mettre en danger pour subvenir aux besoins de sa famille.

Snow Maidens become fairies when they grow up. Mongolian Snow Maiden Odmaa was a very confident and proud girl. She entered a competition with Santa Claus's daughter and Russian Snegurochka. The headmistress of the fairy school, the evil Queen from the fairy tale "Tsasangoo", gave them each a task and a magic wand that worked for three days. Santa's daughter was to fulfill the wish of Pinacchio, a wooden doll who wanted to become a human, Snegurochka was to make Cinderella, who was suffering from slavery to her stepmother, happy, and the Mongolian Snow Maiden's task was to make five-year-old Maralmaa a mother.