Anyone enchanted by The Story of the Weeping Camel will warm to this quirkily charming tale set on the steppes of Kazakhstan. Returning from Russian naval service, Asa (Askhat Kuchinchirekov) moves into a cramped yurt with sister Samal, taciturn brother-in-law Ondas and their three unruly children. Asa wants to become a shepherd, but he needs a wife and sets off to meet the only marriageable girl in the district. Undaunted by the unseen girl's rejection (because of his big ears), Asa persuades himself he's in love and vows to win her over. Drawing on his documentary experience, director Sergey Dvortsevoy imbues this gem with the spirit of pioneering outdoor film-maker Robert Flaherty, as he unflinchingly depicts the harshness (and occasional beauty) of a nomadic life in the central Asian wilderness. But he also includes an irresistible mix of whimsical and raucous humour that leavens the bleakness of that environment.