Review of Tulpan (2009) by David F — 15 Nov 2009

A film about Kazakh shepherds. I sense I may have an uphill battle on my hands persuading people to watch this, but the film is absolutely worth it so here goes ...

Tulpan is the story of Asa, a young man who, having completed his naval service, travels back to the barren landscape of the Kazakh steppe (consult your atlas) where his sister and her shepherd husband live a nomadic life. His only hope of marriage is Tulpan, the daughter of another shepherd family, and the film documents his attempts not only to woo her, but also to find his place in the world.

And what a world. The way of life depicted here seems so alien it verges on science fiction: flat, desolate vistas and tornado-battered dwellings (I half expected one of the sand people from Star Wars to pop up and start honking in the foreground) and a couple of dilapidated vehicles that could have been taken from the set of Mad Max. It's safe to say the inhabitants of this world are largely unconcerned with whether John and Edward remain in X-Factor (I mean what was Simon thinking??!!!??!). I don't mean that to sound patronizing. This is a tough life, and I would undoubtedly keel over and die minutes after realising my iPhone had no signal.

However, as alien as this world may seem, it's easy to identify with the characters as their concerns are universal: finding love, and finding a direction in life (Asa's dream of an idyllic future life is touchingly drawn on his naval uniformâs collar). Asa is a romantic, convinced he is in love with Tulpan despite having never met (or even seen) her. His repeated attempts to beguile her elderly parents (while Tulpan peeks from behind curtains) and his insistence on telling the same convoluted octopus-attack story is indicative of the film's gentle, sweet-natured humour.

Director Sergey Dvortsevoy directed several award winning documentary films. Tulpan is his first feature film, though his previous work shines through: the film has a naturalistic, documentary feel where events seem to unfold organically onscreen in long, unbroken takes which in reality must have been very carefully choreographed by the director. An extended, 10 minute lamb-birthing scene, which happened for real, is both tense and extremely moving.

This is a very cleverly made, if slow moving, coming-of-age film, and anyone prepared to step outside of their comfort zone and adjust to its rhythms will find it a vivid, bracing and rewarding experience.