Tulpan

Colour, 35 mm
Germany, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland, 2008, 100 min
Section: East of the West - Films in Competition

Synopsis

Asa has finished his compulsory military service, but his beautiful naval uniform is still the nicest thing he has to wear when setting out to court the comely Tulpan. Asa lives a traditional nomadic life with his sister, her husband and their children. The young man is expected to become independent, set up his own yurt and tend his own herd. But if he wants to earn his own living, the first thing he has to do is marry. Since there’s a shortage of single girls in the area, the visit to Tulpan’s yurt is very important. Indeed, the matchmaker claims that Tulpan is ideal for Asa. After a courteous interview with the girl’s parents, poor Asa finds out that Tulpan does not want to marry him because of his somewhat large and prominent ears. The young man doesn’t give up, however, and continues to dream about a life in the middle of the vast steppes that might not end up as he envisaged. In addition to its good-humoured storyline, this charming film offers stunning, exotic views of the Kazakh Steppe where Asa and his friend – the matchmaker – run around in a strange vehicle covered with pictures of naked women.

About the director

Sergey Dvortsevoy (b. 1962, Kazakhstan) graduated from flight school in the Ukraine and from the Radio-Technical Institute in Novosibirsk; he worked for Aeroflot and was later accepted for the Higher Courses for Screenwriters and Directors in Moscow. He made a number of shorts and documentary films that were awarded at important international documentary festivals, including those in Leipzig and Nyon. His films offer a blend of naturalism and poetry, but his main interest lies in the faithful depiction of real life. His filmography includes Paradise (Shchastye, 1997), Bread Day (Khlebny den, 1998), Highway (1999) and In the Dark (V tyemnotye, 2004). Tulpan is his feature film debut.