MWFF 2014: Steppe Games

TALYN NAADAN / STEPPE GAMES

2014, Colour, Russia, First Films World Competition 

Production Team

Director : Bair Dyshenov

Screenwriter : Bair Dyshenov

Cinematographer : Gleb Stepanov

Editor : Bair Dyshenov, Egor Belskikh

Cast : Solbon Endonov, Bayarma Boboeva, Chimit Dondokov, Bilikto Dambaev, Oksana Lodoeva, Zhargai Lodoev, Erdeny Zhaitsanov, Aldrar Bazarov

Music : Battulga Galmandakh

Film production and Sales : Prod.: Bair Dyshenov, BuryatKino Cinema Studio, Khotsa Namsaraeva Street 7a, Office , Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia 670034 (Russie), tél.: (+8-3012) 46 64 37, buryatkino@yandex.ru

Director

Born in Zakamensk, Russia in 1966, Bair Dyshenov studied at the Leningrad State Insitute of Theatre, Music, later attending the Plekhanov Academy of Economics. After a stint as an actor at The Buryat Drama Theatre, he served as a director at the Buryat Puppet Theatre, then founded what is now the BuryatKino Cinema Studio. He made his directorial debut in films with a short, Buddha's Smile, in 2008, and followed that in 2001 with The Order of Mother. STEPPE GAMES marks his debut in feature films.

The photos below show the film's official poster and the film's director Bair Dyshenov at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014 Market Place premisses.

Festival's Official Synopsis

"Three stories of the vast Russian steppe. Three warriors, three horses, three songs and one steppe." 

This film intrigues the viewer from the start by weaving, in a parallel fashion, three separate stories. Yet all those stories reflect on each other, intensifying each others' context and meaning, thus creating a unity that is perceived as a single story. This technique is very unique and makes the film to stand out, especially since one of the stories is not placed in the present times as the other two, but happens 400 years ago. The historical dress and the warrior apparel of those past times, the manner of conducting an arrow combat and a horse pursuit, all intensify the understanding of the present day straggle for meaning, and how one deals with problems, desires and conflicts. In this context, the historical battle, the way it was fought, appears to be much more colourful and even nobler than the modern fist fights and aggressive resolve of tense situations.

This weaving of the three stories into one complex whole gives the film a unique depth and a thee-dimensionality. The luscious scenery of the steppes is truly breathtaking. The camera shows the width and depth of the steppe scenery with great precision and artistry. Just to watch those steppe scenes is a true marvel: they draw you in, they are hypnotic.

There are three stories, three warriors, three horses, and three songs which all together create and complete this visual poem.

This is the first feature film of the Buryat film director Bair Dyshenov, and it truly is a great success!