Volker Schlöndorff, known for his adaptation of The Tin Drum that won him the 1978 Academy Award for the best Foreign Language Film, finished directing Ulzhan last year. Now, the film will be shown in a special screening at the Film Festival in Cannes.

The story slightly reminded me of Aitmatov’s work. In Schlöndorff’s words:

The quest life’s deeper meaning, the search of a mythic place at the end of the world, the wish to vanish in the face of a deep mourning - all this can sound pathetic, esoteric not to say ridiculous. But when this character is inhabited by a down-to-earth actor as Philippe Torreton and his journey takes him to a place as real as Kazakhstan, the metaphysics soon turn into a very personal, poetical tale.

The story wrapped up (my translation):

A young Frenchman arrives in Kazakhstan fleeing from a family tragedy. He wants to go to the Khan Tengri mountain, where back in the days, shamans came to die. And this is his aim, too. His car breaks down, he continues afoot, thousands of kilometers. Eventually, he buys himself a horse. The horse’s owner, a young nomad and teacher, follows him in order to look after her horse. She becomes his involuntary guardian angel. Finally, the experiences made during the wandering save the Frenchman from death.

As I am related to someone who’s worked with Schlöndorff before (and who should have good access to the DVD), watch this space for a potential review and interview with the old master of German cinema.