Tulpan

Winning Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year, Tulpan is a sheer delight. The film took four years to make and when you see it you’ll know why. Shot in a remote area of Kazakhstan, with cast who have never farmed in their life, the entire project would certainly have been a giant challenge. The actors playing husband and wife lived together in a jurte (nomadic round tent) for a month just to get the feel of what a nomadic family’s life would be like. The small children who play the three kids of the couple are filmed spontaneously doing what kids do, the little one endlessly playing on a pretend horse (a stick), the girl singing incessantly and the older boy reciting to his father what he has heard on the news. These actors deliver up a stunningly authentic feel in what is a vibrantly human story which puts us sit in awe of how people can still live such a basic and laborious life on a land which barely yields a blade of grass!

Ondas’s sheep are stricken by some odd illness which means every live lamb is critical to the nomads and the herd. There is a scene of a lamb being born that is definitely one of the most amazing things I’ve seen on film, particularly given the lead actor’s relationship to that scene (he was thrown in cold turkey, with no knowledge of sheep or birthing). Throughout, the use of animals is critical to the plot, and they are almost like actors in their own right. The honking of camels, braying of donkeys, barking of puppies are all intrinsic to the soundtrack, along with the repeating track of Boney M singing Rivers of Babylon, as a hilarious accompaniment to Boni driving his tractor which delivers the occasional cucumber and other fresh food to the nomads.

Although the life is harsh, there is plenty of warmth and gentle humour throughout, and the characters, especially Asa and Boni are easy to like. Asa is a man with a dream – not for him the bright city lights; although he and Boni leaf through magazines fantasizing about big homes, solar panels, Jeeps and “babes.” Under it all Asa yearns for a flock of his own, and he has drawn his dream, endearingly, on the collar of his navy uniform. It is all so beautifully simple in a world that is growing inexorably more complex. Therein lies one of the charms of this film.

The cinematography captures the beautiful vast, unforgiving nature of the steppes with some spectacular shots of lightning, tornados, sunsets, and miles and miles of nothing. In many ways, the film is almost like a meditation upon the bare bones of life – the people here exist in the best possible sense of the word – their family ties are strong, their needs modest, and their connectedness with nature absolute.

For those expecting big plot points, forget it. Tulpan is one of those films that takes you on the journey of life – opens up a window to another world, and yet its inhabitants, while living in a very alien setting, still experience all the drama, longings, joys and disappointments which we all share.

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