Benj Binks: "Mongol Rappers have Less Bling, More Heart"

Benj Binks' debut picture is a documentary looking at the development of Mongolian hip-hop over a number years he spent there working on his film when time and money allowed. The Chinese premiere of Mongolian Bling is one of the highlights of Asian Cinema Week during JUE Festival. Here he tells us about learning on the job, rapping about love, and imitating Chinggis Khan.

What prompted you to make this picture?
I had this dream to do a year of traveling down the Mekong River and I wanted to do more than just have it as my experience. I decided to make a documentary about it, but I’d never used a video camera before so I enrolled in a short course and after I discovered how much work was involved in making a five-minute film, I realized I needed to start somewhere smaller. I’d been to Mongolia and heard the hip-hop and I foolishly thought that it’d be a simple place to start. It ended up taking us six years.

How did you discover Mongolian hip-hop?
I was working as a tour guide on the Trans-Siberian Railway and arrived in Mongolia for the first time. I was expecting nomads and herders and I stepped off the train into the pumping capital of Ulaanbaatar complete with bars, cafes and hip-hop. I loved the juxtaposition of Mongolian hip-hop and when I decided to get into filmmaking, the story really appealed to me.

Why is the film called Mongolian Bling? Is that representative of Mongolian hip-hop culture?
We came up with the title before we had made the film. The idea of hip-hop in Mongolia had surprised me and many others and we felt that Mongolian Bling represented this well – Mongolia – which most associate with nomads, herders and steppe, and bling – which is miles from that. The name got people interested straight away. Interestingly, there’s actually very little bling in our film – one person who saw the film commented that "Mongol rappers have less bling, more heart". I love that quote.

What is the genesis of Mongolian hip-hop?
It started with the fall of Socialism and the birth of democracy in 1990. Hip-hop dance acts became popular and bands like Kris Kross, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice were soon mimicked. Black Rose started rapping over techno beats in the mid '90s. Then in 1997, War and Peace stirred up as the country’s first hip-hop group. They rapped about everyday life and the political situation and while their following was small and they only lasted a few years, their legacy lives on. Over the last five years, the hip-hop scene has exploded. As one of the older rappers says, "In 1990, Mongolia was like a blank sheet of paper. Anything you did was new." It was this blank paper that hip-hop soon started filling up.

Is fermented horse milk a good alternative to Cristal?
Yeah, that or drinking blood out of the neck of your horse as you ride across the continent conquering empire after empire, Chinggis Khan-style.

What does the average Mongolian think about hip-hop and hip-hop culture?
Hip-hop is huge with people under 25 and is largely the voice of the youth. They dress the part, have plenty of local and foreign rappers they admire and many of them rap, graffiti or beatbox. Sure not all are into it and all other music genres are represented – R'n'B, techno, metal and all that. The over 25’s are a bit more rock orientated and then the elders are more into traditional music. However across all levels there is support for the young rappers and all the elder musicians we spoke to were encouraging them to blend traditional Mongolian music with their hip-hop. It was pretty cool to be in such a supportive environment.

What are common themes in Mongolian rap?
Like all hip-hop they sing about life. Social issues, politics and everyday life are all big topics but unlike America, there’s very little dissing and there’s hardly any violence between groups. Sure there‘s some but it’s not like rappers are getting gunned down in the streets. There’s also a strong heritage of singing about love in Mongolia, largely created by the Socialist era and this is evident in today’s rap – both love and singing about mothers. Not like Eminem but in a positive, praising way.

Is Mongolian hip-hop a populist youth movement?
I don’t believe any music genre represents an entire age group but hip-hop is definitely the preferred medium of expression of Ulaanbaatar’s youth and many of their issues are expressed via the mouths and lyrics of rappers. Hip-hop’s reputation as a voice of the unheard is definitely alive and well in Mongolia and just walking the streets of the capital, it’s clear to see that many young Mongolians relate to hip-hop.

Who will like your film?
We’ve been drawing a huge variety of crowds to screenings with hip-hop fans, travelers and people who just love discovering unknown cultures and subcultures all attending. Many people who love documentary also come along as it’s an angle that’s never been covered before – we like to call it the first film about modern Mongolia.

What type of coverage does hip-hop get in the media in Mongolia?
It’s huge. Traditional music is the biggest but hip-hop and rock are next and you see the influence of hip-hop everywhere. Rap concerts pull huge crowds, rappers are often used in advertising and the media always covers the gigs and releases.

Why did your project take so long? Why did you need seven years?
Six years is not unusual in terms of making a documentary that follows the development and growth of characters. We needed to film them over a few years to see how they’d developed and to have the story grow. On top of that, I started this project knowing nothing about filming so I was on a serious learning curve. I was also funding the project myself for the first four years so I had limited time to work on it and there were large sections when I was working full time on other moneymaking jobs. Once we had finished shooting we created two versions of the film – an hour version for TV and this version for the big screen. Then we had to get them mixed and graded. It all adds up pretty quick. Also, if we’d gone out and shot it in one go, we couldn’t have captured how the characters had moved on in their lives.

Who or what are you most proud of in your film?
I’m still kind of amazed that I’ve actually made it! This is my first film and yeah, it’s still sinking in that I’ve actually made a film that people are willing to pay good money to go and see. I’ve had the most incredible crew supporting me, along with my friends and family. I’m proud of everyone who shared their story in the film, especially Gennie who journeyed to France to perform which was a huge thing for her. I’m proud of Nacho, Steve and Seggie standing with me for two hours in -35˚C filming a sunrise as our feet froze. That was kinda mad. The whole experience has been amazing.

How did you end up at JUE Festival?
China’s got a huge interest in Mongolia at the moment and the film was yet to be screened in China. JUE approached us and with the festival’s mix of art, music and film, it was the perfect slot for our Chinese premiere. To be given the opening night for the Asian Cinema Week is amazing and we’re really looking forward to the film and performance by Gennie and Quiza, two of the stars of the film.

Do you have any desire to now find out about any other unexpected hip-hop communities?
I’m not seeking them out but if I come across a cool story I’d definitely check it out. I like hip-hop but I’m not a massive fan. I’m more into cool stories that break stereotypes. Sure it could be hip-hop but it could also be something totally different – I’m researching a film about ivory at the moment which is a million miles from Mongol rap.

What’s next for Benj Binks?
Well I’m about to head around the world for five months with Mongolian Bling as it gets screened at a bunch of festivals and then I’m hoping to shoot a documentary about an orchestra that is made up of surgeons. I also hope to ride a motorbike from Australia to England next year but I’m not locking too much down in case a cool opportunity comes up. I’m also working on a children’s book.

Has the film been misrepresented in some of the press hype surrounding its release?
Nope. It’s all been awesome. It’s been amazing at how well the film has been received.

Mongolian Bling will screen at Asian Cinema Week as part of JUE Film. Learn more about the film at to www.mongolianbling.com.

Photo: Benj Binks