Tulpan (2008)

Director:

Sergei Dvortsevoy

Writers:

Sergei Dvortsevoy (writer)
Gennadi Ostrovsky (writer)

Release Date:

4 March 2009 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

On the steppes of Kazakhstan, Asa lives in a yurt with his sister Samal, her husband Ondas, and their three children...

Plot Keywords:

Stillbirth | Herding | Veterinarian | Breast Obsession | Kazakhstan

Awards:

15 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tolepbergen Baisakalov	...	Boni (as Tulepbergen Baisakalov)
Samal Yeslyamova	...	Samal
Ondas Besikbasov	...	Ondas
Bereke Turganbayev	...	Beke
Nurzhigit Zhapabayev	...	Nuka
Mahabbat Turganbayeva	...	Maha
Amangeldi Nurzhanbayev	...	Tulpan's Father
Tazhyban Khalykulova	...	Tulpan's Mother
Zhappas Zhailaubaev	...	Boss
Esentai Tulendiev	...	Veterinarian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Samal Esljamova	...	Samal
Askhat Kuchencherekov	...	Askhat

Directed by
Sergei Dvortsevoy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sergei Dvortsevoy		writer
Gennadi Ostrovsky		writer

Produced by
Karl Baumgartner	....	producer
Valerie Fischer	....	co-producer
Bulat Galimgereyev	....	co-producer
Raimond Goebel	....	co-producer
Thanassis Karathanos	....	producer
Maria Murashova	....	executive producer
Henryk Romanowski	....	producer
Gulnara Sarsenova	....	co-producer
Sergey Selyanov	....	producer
Yelena Yatsura	....	producer

Cinematography by
Jolanta Dylewska

Film Editing by
Petar Markovic
Isabel Meier

Production Design by
Roger Martin

Costume Design by
Gaziza Korshiyeva

Makeup Department
Tomasz Matraszek	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Undine Filter	....	post-production supervisor
Viola Fügen	....	post-production supervisor
Bohdan Graczyk	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yuri Kazakov	....	second assistant director
Mara Tuleutayeva	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Olivier Dandré	....	sound mixer
Ivan Dumas	....	boom operator
Martin Lonek	....	sound mixer
Williams Schmit	....	sound designer
James Seddon	....	dolby consultant
Eric Tisserand	....	sound mixer
Manuel Vidal	....	assistant sound editor

Visual Effects by
Janos Menberg	....	digital artist
Christian Stanzel	....	digital compositor
Martin Tallosy	....	digital compositor
Manuel Voss	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Yuri Kazakov	....	set photographer

Editorial Department
Michael Hackl	....	on-line editor
Natalie Helgath	....	digital colorist
Janos Menberg	....	colorist

Other crew
Undine Filter	....	production coordinator
Martin Hampel	....	assistant: producer

Production Companies

• Pallas Film (co-production)
• ARTE (in cooperation with)
• BIM Distribuzione (in cooperation with)
• Bundesamt für Kultur (EDI) (supported by)
• CTB Film Company (co-production)
• Cobra Film AG (co-production)
• Das Kleine Fernsehspiel (ZDF) (in association with)
• Eurasia Film (co-production)
• Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography (supported by)
• Filmcontract Ltd. (co-production)
• Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (supported by)
• Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) (supported by)
• Pandora Films (co-production)
• Polish Film Institute (supported by)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (supported by)
• Schweizer Fernsehen (FS) (in cooperation with)
• Slovo Studios (co-production)
• ZDF (in association with)

Distributors

• First Distributors (2008) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• ARP Sélection (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2009) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Filmes da Mostra (2009) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Zeitgeist Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Against Gravity (2009) (Poland) (all media)
• Clap - Produção de Filmes (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2009) (Italy) (DVD)
• Kam & Ronson Enterprise Co (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• New Wave Films (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Son Altesse  sound equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

France:100 min | USA:100 min | Argentina:100 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

Kazakhstan | Russia | Germany | Poland | Switzerland | Italy

Language:

Kazakh | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Hong Kong:IIA | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | UK:12A | Australia:M | Ireland:12A | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Kazakhstan

Company:

Pallas Film

Trivia:

Kazakhstan's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category.

Soundtrack:

Rivers of Babylon

Life on the steppes

The fact that this film won almost every award it was nominated for is of little consequence to the average film goer. It is about life on the Central Asian steppes of Kazakhstan. Yes, that Kazakhstan, but without Sasha Baron Cohen.

Life here is very hard. There is not a tree in sight, and the wind whips the dirt around mercilessly. Asa just returned from his tour of duty in the Russian Navy, and we hear him tell his potential in-laws of the things he encountered. He is after the hand of Tulpan, the only available bride in the area. He wants to settle down and raise sheep, but he must have a wife. No deal. She thinks his ears are too big, but I believe it is mama that wants her to do more than just be a wife who cooks and cleans and has babies on the steppes.

Asa keeps trying to win her as he tries to become a shepherd. He is not doing well at either.

The funniest part of the film is the vet. You can't describe what he does with a cigarette, but you have to see it.

It won't win any popularity contests, but it is worth seeing.