Reviews

Echoes of the Empire: Beyond Genghis Khan is brimming with breathtaking visuals and thought-provoking information on Genghis Khan. Gorgeous animation brings to life each story and Khan’s iconic historical status. Even in an ever-changing world of industry, the Great Steppe still sprawls for hundreds of miles, utterly unchanged by humans. This is displayed masterfully throughout in an almost meditative manner.

The film also features excellent talking head interviews to accompany the sweeping shots of the untouched landscape. In addition to the visual elements, each interview adds a unique perspective to the long history of Mongolia or a direct link to its present-day culture… told through stylized animation, give it a vibrancy lacking in many historical documentaries… As it stands, Lieberman’s feature is fascinating and engaging.

— Film Threat

Spectacular Cinematography… a fascinating incursion into Mongolian history, culture and politics.

— RKS Film

Director Robert H. Lieberman’s Echoes of the Empire: Beyond Genghis Khan immediately astounds with breathtaking cinematography. That awe is transferred to the artistic animation as stories take shape and is continued in every visual aspect of the film for its entirety.
Echoes of the Empire is many things: informative, compelling, astounding. But the beauty of Lieberman’s vision tied closely with the captivating culture makes for a unique, lifted experience.

— Maddwolf

(Mongolia) is largely unknown in the outside world. Robert H. Lieberman’s documentary sets out to change that, not simply by presenting viewers with information, but by capturing something of the spirit of the place… a rich portrait of a rapidly changing nation whose people are facing up to the challenges of the 21st Century with the same determination they have always shown.

— Eye For Film

Robert H. Lieberman’s documentary, with its lush, grand vistas of the rolling Mongolian plains, chronicles the enigmatic country’s origins, its notorious conquering leader and modern identity… What resonates most in the film is Mongolian pride, the connection of the people to the land, the sense of spirituality, lore and community. One of the best tidbits is how Mongolian herds solve the problem of living with predators such as wolves, leopards, foxes and the ginormous golden eagle.

— Cambridge Day

Fascinating and cool… Echoes Of The Empire has a richness of the subject beyond the history lessons as well as delivering some surprises to the mix…

— FilmsGoneWild.com

Amazing visuals that tie together which tie together the nation’s past and present. (Lieberman’s) films prove that international culture and foreign policy should not be dismissed as boring.

— JB Spins

Echoes opens with gorgeous aerial shots by Michael Roberts of animals moving through vast landscapes of grass, sand, and mountains before the camera reveals UB, the past meeting the present and future as lush traditional music plays… Gracefully edited by David Kossack and photographed by Lieberman, who produced the film with Deborah C. Hoard, Echoes of the Empire is a love letter to the extraordinary country of Mongolia, from its past to its present.

– This Week in New York

The haunting vast steppes of Mongolia, the fascinating life story of the relentless Genghis Khan, and the current precarious predicament of the Mongol people are juxtaposed in this scenic film of cinematic grandeur.

Starting with the personal and intimate origin story of Genghis Khan, Lieberman weaves a rich and close-knit tale of the entire history of the Mongolian people—effortlessly mixing past, present and future in its entire epic splendor.

— Karsten Kastelan, German Film Critics Association

Far more than a visually magnificent film capturing Mongolia’s remarkable natural beauty, Echoes of Empire reveals a people proud of their traditions, their independence, and the freedoms they cherish. As the United States and Mongolia grow ever closer, this film highlights much of what brings our countries together.

— Michael Klecheski, United States Ambassador to Mongolia

Echoes of The Empire charts Mongolia’s history, but also comes down firmly in the modern day. Not only talking about the rising Mongolian cityscapes, but also its vast and beautiful countryside which creates an unusual divide where progress meets tradition and heritage.

The documentary shows that Mongolia is not a country stuck in the past or a place that wants to hide from the world anymore. Instead, it’s a country that wants to learn from others and maybe dispel the misconceptions that have been held over the country for so long.

— Joel Fisher @ BattleRoyaleWithCheese

Absolutely, the best documentary ever made on Mongolia…Digs past the stereotypes. I think this will be important long into the future.

— Jack Weatherford, New York Times bestselling author, “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.”

What a beautiful film. I have seen lots of films about Mongolia but this is the first time I really learned something new about this country and its people.

— Nina Gladitz, author and filmmaker, “Leni Riefenstahl: Career of a Perpetrator.”

Director Robert H. Lieberman and screenwriter/researcher Deborah C. Hoard introduce us to Mongolian politicians, academics, activists, a poet, a painter and a comedian to give us a beyond-just-a-travelogue look at the young republic and its youthful — and as suggested by the film — hopeful population.

— Movie Nation

Lieberman’s film reminds the viewers that during the communist era, the name of Genghis Khan was a taboo, (though) Genghis Khan was indeed the ruler who united Mongolia and gave the world some of the enduring commercial and legal advancements.

Echoes of the Empire highlights the challenges that the ancient nomadic people of Mongolia are currently facing as the country undergoes rapid urbanization often placing the nomads in the midst of a cultural vortex.

— Kallol Bhattacherjee @ The Hindu, India’s leading English language newspaper

Bravo! A docu masterpiece… Esthetic flyovers in high resolution, insightful interviews and the fascinating life story of Genghis Khan

— Thorsten Elsingerich. Deputy Consul General, Austrian Consulate General

— Emmanuel Itier @ FilmFestivals.com

This informative documentary from director Robert H. Lieberman and screenwriter/researcher Deborah C. Hoard gives an overview of Mongolia's history and present culture...

— CherryPicks