A movie about nomads living on the steppes of Kazakhstan sounds like a recipe for a serious, earthy documentary, a chance to see how a remote culture lives its life.
And “Tulpan” offers those attributes, no doubt about it. But this isn’t a straight documentary, even if we do see real places and witness the live birth of a lamb.
From its very first scene, it’s clear there is a wry, funny intelligence behind “Tulpan,” guiding us to a very specific set of characters. In that scene, one sheepherding family is being visited by a young man, Asa, and his father, who are also shepherds.
Asa seeks the hand in marriage of Tulpan, who is frankly the only eligible girl for miles around. (The movie looks so empty, it could be hundreds of miles around.)
Unfortunately, Asa, a recently demobilized sailor, spends his time obsessively describing the best way to kill an octopus. Tulpan (whom we never see, just her very dubious parents) turns down the proposal.
This scene is so droll, so well-timed, you realize you’re in good hands for the rest of the film. The plot that follows is slender: Asa is torn between wanting to have his own sheep herd and striking out for city life.
Around that dilemma we get wonderfully lived-in scenes of family life inside the yurt and vast looks across the flat, dry steppes. Everybody in Asa’s family has distinct personalities (his father is skeptical about his oldest son’s abilities tending the sheep), even the family dog.
The director, Sergey Dvortsevoy, has a background in documentaries. He has the ability to capture all sorts of action within the time of a single camera shot, whether it’s Asa’s continued wooing of Tulpan or the aforementioned birthing of a lamb.
As it turns out, that birth has more than just National Geographic-style interest. It’s an important moment for Asa in his coming of age.
Dvortsevoy has an artist’s eye. He understands the power of photographing a faraway storm in the night — but also the whimsical effect of placing the dog in the foreground of the shot.
Anybody who remembers “The Story of the Weeping Camel” will find a kindred spirit in “Tulpan.” And anybody who only knows Kazakhstan from “Borat” should check it out, too.
“Tulpan”
Nomads on the steppes of Kazakhstan involved in finding a bride for a young man. Not merely an interesting look at a faraway culture, this film is full of droll humor and family dynamics. (In Kazakh and Russian, with English subtitles.)
Rated: Not rated; probably PG for subject matter
Showing: Varsity
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