Storm Over Asia is a 1928 Soviet silent film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, which depicts the events of the Russian Civil War in Mongolia. The film follows the story of a young Mongol herder and trapper named Bair, who is cheated out of a valuable fox fur by a European capitalist fur trader. As a result, Bair becomes embittered and decides to join the Socialist revolutionaries.
Bair's journey takes him through various landscapes, from the steppes of Mongolia to the bustling city of Irkutsk, as he fights against the British occupation of the region. The film is noted for its stunning cinematography, which captures the vastness and beauty of the Mongolian landscape, as well as its subtle political commentary, as Bair becomes a symbol of resistance against imperialism.
As the story progresses, Bair is captured by the British and is believed to be the reincarnation of Genghis Khan, due to an amulet that he carries. The British plan to use Bair as a puppet leader of Mongolia, but Bair eventually turns against his captors and incites a rebellion against them.
The film's themes of colonialism, revolution, and Mongolian nationalism were heavily influenced by Bolshevik ideology, and it remains a significant example of propaganda cinema from the early Soviet period. Today, the film is considered a masterpiece of the silent era and is often cited as one of Pudovkin's greatest works.