Tulpan

This film has been selected by John Hurt for inclusion in this year's programme.

An exhilaratingly alive and sweet-natured tale set in the barren landscape of a Kazakh steppe. Asa returns from the navy to live with his sister, her husband and their three children. Asa dreams of his own flock of sheep, but it appears that until he gets married, his wish will never be granted. He targets a young unmarried woman called Tulpan, whose face he has never seen, but her feelings are not to be taken for granted. Four years in the making, Tulpan is filmmaking of the highest order, reminiscent of Werner Herzog at his best.

Winner: BFI's Sutherland Trophy and'Un Certain Regard', Cannes 2008

Thanks to Verve Pictures.