TULPAN
Image: Tulpan is a stripped back love letter to the dusty steppes of Kazakhstan, punctured with poignant moments of humour and tenderness. Hapless ex-sailor Asa has big dreams of his own jurte … but first he needs a wife, and the only one available doesn’t want him … (AB)
Tulpan is a stripped back, bare-bones love letter to the dusty steppes of Kazakhstan, punctured with poignant moments of humour and tenderness. Hapless ex-sailor Asa has a big mouth, big ears and even bigger dreams of his own jurte complete with a satellite and flat-screen TV. But first he needs a wife, and on the solitary steppe, the only one available doesn’t want him. And neither does his step-brother host, the gruff shepherd Ondas. This is the first feature film from Sergey Dvortsevoy, and it has a rudimentary feel that is mostly charming, and only occasionally grating. The camera is like a character, snuggling in close to scenes of sheep in labour, milk being churned, babies running amok. You may not love the land, but you’ll love the characters.
