Kelin (Ermek Tursunov, 2009): Kazakhstan

Reviewed by Nicole Muhlethaler. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The goal of every good filmmaker is to show, not tell. Writer/director Ermek Tursunov stretched this idea to the limit when he chose to cut all dialogue from Kelin two weeks before production. The result is a dramatic, complex, and universal film with a vibrant pulse all its own.

In Kelin, we are transported to the snow-covered mountains of Kazakhstan, circa 400 B.C.E., where the beautiful Kelin is undergoing a village ritual into womanhood. Torn between the longing of two men and eventually being sold to the richer, the man who lost chases her down, cutting her arm with a knife to signify his oath to win her back. After this incident, she moves in with her new husband, his younger brother, and his aging shaman mother, sharing a large tent with all three, and her life unfolds as a battle between all who come in contact with her. Everyone wants a piece of her beauty. Through the use of ritual, shamanism, and animal messengers, Tursunov weaves his tale of lust, murder, and revenge, giving life not only to the ancient traditions of a remote landscape, but to those who happen to find themselves living in it.

One of the most compelling themes of the film is Tursunov’s use of shamanism, wildlife, and nature to convey meaning and the passage of time. From the opening scene where a black wolf interrupts the slow, wide shot of the Altai Mountains, to flashes of owls and vultures as omens during pivotal points of the story, the world as Kelin and her kin experience it becomes one in which we, too, are invited to find meaning. The role of the natural world extends to the lighting of the film, which is mostly natural lighting with the sunlight on the bright white snow or campfire light inside the tent or in the woods.

Ritual is also an important aspect of the movie. From the ritual of the purchase of a wife, to the elaborate rituals revolving around death, the loss of virginity, and birth, we are drawn into this ancient culture with the trust that we will intuitively understand the meaning behind the actions so foreign to us. Strangely enough, without explanation or even a minimal use of words, we do.

In a discussion about the film with the producers, they mentioned the importance of womanhood, and the idea that women create new beginnings. After a deadly fight, followed by an avalanche stirred up by Kelin’s mother-in-law’s rage, it is Kelin and her mother-in-law who start up the family anew. It is Kelin’s beauty and strength that keeps the family together, yet which also leads to the jealousy, revenge, and eventually deadly violence of the men. Her beauty, laughter, and innocence, paired with her wisdom, are the most valuable assets to be found in this harsh and difficult landscape.