Tulpan

A mesmerising, weirdly perfect blend of fish-out-of-water comedy, ethnographic documentary, social realism and awesome landscape photography, Tulpan provides an unforgettable journey to the Kazakh steppe.

After completing his naval service, young Asa, proudly decked out in his sailor's uniform, travels to the steppe where his sister lives with her shepherd husband. Told he must be married before he can become a shepherd himself Asa sets his heart on Tulpan, the only young woman for miles around. ‘No way’, says she, ‘not with those ears’. As Asa's sweet dream of a traditional life on the steppe butts up against one harsh reality after another we're granted an enthralling picture of the elemental world he's determined to make his own. (Source: NZ International Film Festival)

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