Sergey Dvortsevoy’s first fiction feature film, Tulpan, gives viewers a glimpse into the life of a young Kazakh man named Asa, recently returned from his obligatory naval service to join his sister and brother-in-law in a traditional nomadic life as sheepherders in the arid Kazakh steppe. Before Asa can have a flock of his own, he must find a wife, and is set on marrying the only available local woman, Tulpan, the mysterious daughter of a neigbouring family, whose face is never revealed. However, as a result of her stubborn parents and her dislike of his large ears, Asa is rejected by Tulpan and is completely disheartened. Suddenly, his worldly dreams seem out of reach and Asa is left to grapple with life and his decisions.
Heartwarming and perceptive, Tulpan is worthy of the Prix d’Un Certain Regard it won at this year’s Cannes film festival. Dvortsevoy’s first fiction film after a string of noted documentaries, he uses his naturalist techniques and aesthetics to portray this story in a realistic light. It is almost as if he is a viewer himself, only filming what unfolds in front of him. With plenty of intriguing and quirky characters (and animals), his camera captures the lighthearted moments that play out across this harsh landscape – a truly poetic depiction.
(Intermedias reviewer at VIFF 2008)
Tulpan (Kazakhstan, 2008)
Directed By: Sergey Dvortsevoy
