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Admirers of The Story of the Weeping Camel will find much to enjoy in this entrancing tale of life on the Kazakh steppes, says Michael Bartlett.

Tulpan, a tough but affectionate portrait of life on the Kazakh steppes, is not only entertaining but a valuable record of a culture on the verge of extinction. It will also appeal to anyone touched by the world of films such as The Story of the Weeping Camel.

After completing his national service, Asa returns to the home of his sister and her shepherd husband. He desperately wants his own flock of sheep, but tradition demands that he must get married first. So he sets his sights on the only local beauty around – but unfortunately she is less than enthusiastic...

Former documentarist Dvortsevoy went to extraordinary lengths to capture the everyday reality of this environment, filming on location for over a year and forcing his cast to live together as a family. The cinematography and sound design capture the volatile climate and the film is full of visual epiphanies, like a dog casually munching on a bone while lightning streaks down towards the horizon.

The most memorable scene however is the birth of a lamb, delivered by the actor for real, in the wake of deaths among the flock. Reinforcing Asa’s relationship to his home, it’s an uplifting coup de cinema.

 

Michael Bartlett on 25th February 2010
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