moviereview - Tulpan

TULPAN

	On the steppes of Kazakhstan, a young man yearns to become a shepherd. First he has to get married.	score 3	moviereview rates films from 1 (unwatchable) to 5 (unmissable)
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Cast
Askhat Kuchinchirekov, Samal Yeslyamova, Ondasyn Besikbasov, Tulepbergen Baisakalov

Director
Sergy Dvortsevoy

Screenwriter
Sergy Dvortsevoy

Country
Kazakhstan / Germany (subtitles)

Rating / Running Time
PG / 100 minutes

Australian Release
April 2009

Official Site

If Borat is your only point of reference regarding all things Kazakh, Sergey Dvortsevoy is about to change all that. Set high on Kazakhstahn’s wind torn steppe, Tulpan is a companion to the similarly endearing Cave of the Yellow Dog for drama, it seems, is a constant companion to Central Asian nomadic life.

Asa (the magnetic Askhat Kuchinchirekov) has recently returned from marine service and aches to become, like his sister and her family, yurt living, camel riding shepherds. But to realise that dream, he first needs to impress the local party chief and to do that, he has to find a wife. Unfortunately, the only contender in this sparsely populated region is not interested: Tulpan thinks his ears are too big.

Dvortsevoy achieves a tremendous level of realism from his cast and location – the dusty plains of the steppe are a dominant character that heavily influences the story’s direction. A subplot involving malnourished sheep is a direct result of the hardships inflicted by the fearsome weather kicked up on the plains. It takes to its role beautifully. Likewise Asa’s family who achieves near-documentary realism as the camera roams around their life. Tulpan’s pugnacious mother is a work of art.

Less assured is Dvortsevoy’s handling of his debut feature’s slender narrative arc. Many scenes linger like a clumsy guest while others sidetrack bemused audiences from core themes. It’s unsettling and, in the case of Asa’s Boney M-loving, golden-jawed friend, confusing. Nonetheless, Tulpan is a significant achievement that opens an inviting window on a far-flung corner of the world. This Cannes winner may lack the fuzziness of Yellow Dog, but is certain to satisfy its audience.

// COLIN FRASER