Sergey Dvortsevoy, previously known for his documentary work, stepped into fiction filmmaking with 2008’s *Tulpan*, a story unfolding on the Kazakh steppe. Following time spent in the Russian Navy, Asa (Askhat Kuchinchirekov) goes back to live with his sister (Samal Yeslyamova) and brother-in-law (Ondasyn Besikbasov), attempting to win over the only young woman available within a considerable distance. As a documentary, *Tulpan* offers Western audiences a look at the starkness of the Kazakh steppe and the demanding labor required for herders to survive. Some of the younger people in the film are drawn to the appeal of urban life, where modern conveniences promise an easier existence than what’s available on the plains. From my perspective as someone familiar with linguistics, the movie effectively portrays the shifts between Russian and Kazakh languages that became common after the Soviet period; this really highlights how these individuals feel divided between two cultures. A notable moment in the film involves Asa helping with a real sheep birth, shown realistically to educate viewers without being overly explicit. However, as a work of fiction, I found it less compelling. It seems like Asa’s courtship of Tulpan was originally intended to be the main focus, but that storyline was largely abandoned when Dvortsevoy chose to improvise much of the film's content. This leaves the movie feeling somewhat thin beyond its straightforward depiction of traditional customs. Overall, I think it’s a worthwhile one-time viewing and you will probably pick up something new, though it doesn’t quite reach classic status.

Source on TMDB