World premiere

Ulbolsyn

Local title
Ulbolsõn – üksi kõigi vastu
Original title
Ұлболсын
Director
Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Country
Kazakhstan, France
Year
2020
Programme
Official Selection - Competition

Life in Karataş village runs along an untroubled path, until its patriarchal way of life is challenged by Ulbolsyn, a woman whose coldblooded heart and blazing temperament are not afraid of setting everything on fire.

Ulbolsyn, enjoying the freedom of self-actualisation in the big city, has decided to also save her little sister Azhar who is still living in their home village and who is being married off to the local soothsayer to become his youngest wife. While trying to find a way out of the hopelessly closed circle, Ulbolsyn is not helped by the fact that Azhar herself does not wish to be rescued. Azhar does not mind the old age of her future husband Urgen, nor his other wives or the fact that the man has kidnapped her and hidden away from Ulbolsyn. The rest of the sisters’ family are of an equally sceptical opinion, considering the status of a married woman a much more valuable asset that higher education.

As two worlds collide, hearts break and heads roll in a hellishly glamorous spectacle. Every confident step of the characters opens a world where compositions expressively reflect their mental condition and its changes, as well as the colouring range which tells its own story in the role of a detective.

"Ulbolsyn" is a masterfully precise film, the rhythm and style of which boldly break their way through mediocrity and achieve a dazzling result using minimalist tools.

Elise Eimre

Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award

Director
Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Screenwriter
Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Cast
Assel Sadvakassova, Dinara Sagi, Yerbolat Alkozha, Berik Aitzhanov, Daniyar Alshinov
Producer
Serik Abishev, Olga Khlasheva
DoP
Azamat Dulatov
Editor
Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Music
Alua Orentai
Production
Sunny Production, Short Brothers, Arizona Productions
Runtime
Language
Kazakh
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Adilkhan Yerzhanov

Ädilhan Jeržanov (snd 1982) võitis 1999. aastal Kasahstani rahvusliku telekanali korraldatud stsenaariumivõistluse, lõpetas filmirežii eriala Kasahstani riiklikus kunstiakadeemias (2009) ning töötas ja täiendas end seejärel New Yorgis. Tänaseks on temast saanud hinnatuim ja viljakaim Kasahstani filmitegija, kelle filmid pälvivad auhindu olulistel rahvusvahelistel filmifestivalidel. Kaks tema filmi – „Omanikud“ (2014) ja „Maailma õrn ükskõiksus“ (2018) – on osalenud Cannes´i võistlusprogrammis, mõlemad filmid on linastunud ka PÖFFil. Tema eelmisel aastal valminud filme „Kollane kass“ ja „Ulbolsõn ‒ üksi kõigi vastu“ näidati samuti PÖFFil. Viimane neist valiti osalema põhivõistlusprogrammi, kus see pälvis NETPACi žürii auhinna kui parim Aasia film. Jeržanov on Euroopa Filmiakadeemia liige.

Rieltor (2011), Stroiteli (2013), Ukkili kamshat (Omanikud, PÖFF 2014), Chuma v aule Karatas (The Plague at the Karate Village, 2016), Nochnoy Bog (2018), Laskovoe bezrazlichie mira (Maailma õrn ükskõiksus, PÖFF 2018), A Dark Dark Man (2019), Boy Atbaya (Atbai's Fight, 2019), Sary mysyq (Kollane kass, PÖFF 2020), Ulbolsyn (Ulbolsõn - üksi kõigi vastu, PÖFF 2020), Onbagandar (Herd Immunity, 2021), Ademoka's Education (2021)

Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn