They themselves confess it: People who met Keith Ochwat and Christopher Rufo in high school would probably not have guessed they would accomplish much with their lives. Now, back from Asia where they interviewed Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar, they return with jewels from the other side of the world.

Ochwat and Rufo conducted the interview for their documentary “Roughing it: Mongolia,” which will be shown July 23 on KVIE and on other PBS stations across the country.

Ochwat and Rufo, who are both 23 years old and from Carmichael, say they took the name of their documentary from a series of letters written by Mark Twain detailing his travels through the Pacific Islands. The letters were published as a travelogue in The Sacramento Union in 1866 and propelled Twain to international fame.

Rufo sees the spirit of Twain in the friends’ lives.

“It’s just the Mark Twain style,” Rufo said. “He quit school when he was 12 to go on adventures. We try as much as we can to capture that attitude.”

The documentary runs for about 25 minutes and covers the travels of Rufo, Ochwat and their Mongol driver and guide. The film was shot and produced on a low budget. Rufo already owned a camera and the duo spent very little money while they were in the country.

According to Ochwat, the most expensive part of making the documentary was the plane ticket; friends of Rufo and Ochwat completed most of the postproduction for no charge.

“We’re so lucky that we have talented friends,” Ochwat said.

From Sacramento
Despite going to different schools (Rufo to Rio Americano High School, Ochwat to Mira Loma High), the pair spent more time together than students would sharing a campus, often out and about near the Sacramento River. From their local roots roughing it along the Sacramento River, these two friends have set their eyes on the horizon beyond.

The pair traveled extensively together and ultimately decided to make a travel documentary together. All they needed was a topic; originally they intended to make a documentary about the American railway system.

Then came inspiration: According to Ochwat, the friends were in a Borders Book Store looking at travel guides about the railroad system when they decided the topic was too boring. However, the next guide on the shelf was about Mongolia, and Rufo suggested the Asian country as a topic for their documentary. Ochwat agreed.

Another reason to pick Mongolia: It was different and largely unknown to American audiences.

“You’ve seen the Mona Lisa so many times that it kinda loses its meaning,” Rufo said, mirroring Twain’s reaction upon seeing the painting. “There’s something authentic about the first time you go and see something.”

To Mongolia
Keeping with the spirit of Twain’s writing in “Roughing it: Mongolia,” the pair documented the lives of several different Mongols, from a street vendor who introduces himself as “Batman” to a shaman of the reindeer people who lives near the border with Siberia.

“Twain was after people whose story hadn’t been told a thousand times,” Rufo said.

About half of the population of Mongolia is tribal and nomadic, living in much the same way they did when their country was the center of the Eastern world, around 800 years ago.

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206 when he united the tribes living on the Mongolian steppes. In 1279, the Mongol empire reached its high water mark, stretching from modern China to Bulgaria and Poland.

In accordance with Mongol tradition, Genghis Khan divided his empire between his sons on his death. Because of this tradition, decedents of Genghis Kahn ruled parts of his empire for several centuries. The last state to fall was the Khanate of Bokhara, which was destroyed in 1920 by the Bolshevik Revolution.

Today, Genghis Kahn is revered in Mongolia. Ochwat said Genghis Khan is as important to many Mongols as Jesus Christ is to Christians in the Americas.

“Genghis Kahn in contemporary Mongolia is a combination of George Washington and the biggest pop star around,” Ochwat said. “He’s revered beyond the everyday reverence in the U.S.”

According to Ochwat, discussing the accomplishments of Genghis Khan is a national pastime, even between rival politicians.

“We asked President [Enkhbayar] if Genghis Kahn is a step back, and he said that looking into the past is an inspiration for the future,” Rufo said.

While none of the interview with president Enkhbayar will be shown on Wednesday because of time constraints, a brief clip is available on the “Roughing It: Mongolia” DVD.

Rufo and Ochwat said they secured the interview by “embellishing [their] credentials a little.” On the day of the interview, they were casually dressed and waiting to meet with president Enkhbayar, when one of his advisors approached them.

“We were going to ask some pretty tough questions,” Ochwat said. “He [the presidential advisor] turns white as a sheet when he [saw] the questions we had prepared for them.”

Ochwat said most of their questions focused on issues of corruption.

The men found out later that president Enkhbayar is known as the father of corruption in his country.
“I thought we were definitely going to go to the gulags,” Rufo said.

However, the men avoided a “vacation” to Mongolia’s northern winter wastelands and returned home safely.

Right on Roughing
Rufo is currently in Western China, working on a documentary about a bi-racial baseball team. Both men are planning a trip around the Pacific Ocean to film an eight-part documentary, which they intend to title “Roughing It: The Great Pacific.”

They plan to leave next spring, if they can raise the funds.

For more information on Rufo and Ochwat and their travels, visit www.documentaryfoundation.org.