STEPPE MAN / ÇÖLÇÜ

A small whirlwind drifts across the vast steppe and gradually dissolves, followed by the crawling of a turtle. The montage of these two visual sequences at the beginning of the film metaphorically describes the subject and how the story will be told here. Tales of atmospheric turmoil and moments of calm in and unto itself, of life in the countryside of the Azerbaijani desert, of a pace of life beyond civilization. A camel is born and Old Ulu plays with soap stone figures and tells his son, who he only calls “Steppe Man”, a story. It is the legend of the Steppe Man, who is sitting outside one day in the shade of a rock and tending his herd of camels. A hoopoe bird lands on the rock and transforms into a beautiful young woman. This legend from his childhood turns into magical reality for the grown-up boy, who has taken over his father’s flock and cabin after his death. One day, out of nowhere, a woman appears in the steppe, now split right down the middle by a noisy highway. She has left her husband’s car after an argument and now she is here. Like a fairy godmother she tidies up the cabin and cleans the windows. He tries to send her away, but she stays. A story begins for the camel herder and the woman from the distant city, an escapee from civilization. This story will turn over a new leaf in their lives and change them both. The question of what is important? What is worthwhile in life? This fairy tale for adults, a cinematic quest for identity, finds answers not in words but in pictures. And except for a few melodramatically pointed sequences – the jealous husband of the woman shows up in front of Steppe Man’s cabin – this film works mostly in calm images, giving this legend – with all its metamorphoses and twists, its very own mythological truth.

Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film FESTIVAL

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Shamil Aliyev August 15, 2017 at 2:18pm

FILMS OF THE MONTH

May 6, 2017 Cult Critic

STEPPE MAN

Review by E.J. Wickes
A film by Shamil Aliyev

http://hlc-cultcritic.com/film-month-05-2017-steppe-man/
Shamil Aliyev February 5, 2017 at 12:50pm

http://tombonthemoon.blogspot.com/2016/07/steppe-man-2012.html

Steppe Man (2012)

directed by Shamil Aliyev Azerbaijan 80 minutes 4 stars out of 5 ---- Steppe Man doesn't start out with the main character being a st...
Shamil Aliyev January 13, 2017 at 12:47pm

A small whirlwind drifts across the vast steppe and gradually dissolves, followed by the crawling of a turtle. The montage of these two visual sequences at the beginning of the film metaphorically describes the subject and how the story will be told here. Tales of atmospheric turmoil and moments of calm in and unto itself, of life in the countryside of the Azerbaijani desert, of a pace of life beyond civilization. A camel is born and Old Ulu plays with soap stone figures and tells his son, who he only calls “Steppe Man”, a story. It is the legend of the Steppe Man, who is sitting outside one day in the shade of a rock and tending his herd of camels. A hoopoe bird lands on the rock and transforms into a beautiful young woman. This legend from his childhood turns into magical reality for the grown-up boy, who has taken over his father’s flock and cabin after his death. One day, out of nowhere, a woman appears in the steppe, now split right down the middle by a noisy highway. She has left her husband’s car after an argument and now she is here. Like a fairy godmother she tidies up the cabin and cleans the windows. He tries to send her away, but she stays. A story begins for the camel herder and the woman from the distant city, an escapee from civilization. This story will turn over a new leaf in their lives and change them both. The question of what is important? What is worthwhile in life? This fairy tale for adults, a cinematic quest for identity, finds answers not in words but in pictures. And except for a few melodramatically pointed sequences – the jealous husband of the woman shows up in front of Steppe Man’s cabin – this film works mostly in calm images, giving this legend – with all its metamorphoses and twists, its very own mythological truth.

Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film FESTIVAL

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