The director Mikhail Kulunakov, the producer Yulia Timofeeva, the cinematographer and co-writer Olga Kulunakova, and the actors Aidar Unatov, Vadim Deev, and Timur Kydykov introduced their film Wolves, featured in the Russian Premiere Competition of 47th Moscow International Film Festival.
The events of this Altai epic take place in the late 19th century. The film tells a story of how hatred and the thirst for revenge can destroy not just individuals, but entire families and generations. A humble young man named Tokna is in love with the beautiful Kymyskai. But she is also coveted by a prominent 40-year-old bachelor named Kutus. Leveraging his high standing and evoking local customs, Kutus abducts the girl. Naturally unwilling to be with him, she later elopes to join Tokno. The young lovers hide in the mountains. Nursing his grievance and ultimately tracking them down, Kutus seeks revenge — he kills the family’s cow, their source of livelihood. In retaliation, Tokno and his nephew slaughter half of Kutus’ sheep. Hostility turns into hatred, misunderstanding escalates into a war of extermination.
Mikhail Kulunakov: "This plot is based on stories my grandmother used to tell me. I’m convinced it really happened, but my conservative grandmother recounted it as a kind of epic folk tale. That’s how we structure the narrative in the film, letting the tension build gradually until it crescendos into something close to classical tragedy. To me, the actual heroes here are the wolves, definitely more so than the grown adults with their savage instincts, hatred, and rage".
Vadim Deev: "I believe that seeing this film will make people speak of Altai as a true seat of power. We’ve been performing for the past 15 years on stage at the Pavel Kuchiyak National Drama Theatre. We all graduated from the Shchepkin Theatre School and have been working with Mikhail since his first film. For the entire cast, the roles we played in Wolves are truly invaluable. I hope for our continued collaboration with Mikhail on stories drawn from the epic folklore of Altai".
Aidar Unatov: "We truly believe that Wolves will ignite a swift and powerful beginning for filmmaking in Altai. There is not only great hope attached to this project by our team, but by the people of the region as well".
Timur Kydykov: "Even though our characters are different from who we are in life, we didn’t have to dig deep to immerse into the roles. The natural world of Altai — its mountains, rivers, and waterfalls — guided us and supported us in establishing a connection to past generations throughout the shoot".
Olga Kulunakova: "I became involved in the project not only as a cinematographer, but also as a co-writer. My husband and I decided to refine certain elements of the script, and we tried to do so through the synergies of our creative and personal harmony".
Yulia Timofeeva: "The film already has a distributor who will release it not only in Altai but across Russia — and possibly even internationally. I believe that today all doors are open for fresh and captivating films made in Russia, and pictures like this can resonate with audiences".
The events of this Altai epic take place in the late 19th century. The film tells a story of how hatred and the thirst for revenge can destroy not just individuals, but entire families and generations. A humble young man named Tokna is in love with the beautiful Kymyskai. But she is also coveted by a prominent 40-year-old bachelor named Kutus. Leveraging his high standing and evoking local customs, Kutus abducts the girl. Naturally unwilling to be with him, she later elopes to join Tokno. The young lovers hide in the mountains. Nursing his grievance and ultimately tracking them down, Kutus seeks revenge — he kills the family’s cow, their source of livelihood. In retaliation, Tokno and his nephew slaughter half of Kutus’ sheep. Hostility turns into hatred, misunderstanding escalates into a war of extermination.
Mikhail Kulunakov: "This plot is based on stories my grandmother used to tell me. I’m convinced it really happened, but my conservative grandmother recounted it as a kind of epic folk tale. That’s how we structure the narrative in the film, letting the tension build gradually until it crescendos into something close to classical tragedy. To me, the actual heroes here are the wolves, definitely more so than the grown adults with their savage instincts, hatred, and rage".
Vadim Deev: "I believe that seeing this film will make people speak of Altai as a true seat of power. We’ve been performing for the past 15 years on stage at the Pavel Kuchiyak National Drama Theatre. We all graduated from the Shchepkin Theatre School and have been working with Mikhail since his first film. For the entire cast, the roles we played in Wolves are truly invaluable. I hope for our continued collaboration with Mikhail on stories drawn from the epic folklore of Altai".
Aidar Unatov: "We truly believe that Wolves will ignite a swift and powerful beginning for filmmaking in Altai. There is not only great hope attached to this project by our team, but by the people of the region as well".
Timur Kydykov: "Even though our characters are different from who we are in life, we didn’t have to dig deep to immerse into the roles. The natural world of Altai — its mountains, rivers, and waterfalls — guided us and supported us in establishing a connection to past generations throughout the shoot".
Olga Kulunakova: "I became involved in the project not only as a cinematographer, but also as a co-writer. My husband and I decided to refine certain elements of the script, and we tried to do so through the synergies of our creative and personal harmony".
Yulia Timofeeva: "The film already has a distributor who will release it not only in Altai but across Russia — and possibly even internationally. I believe that today all doors are open for fresh and captivating films made in Russia, and pictures like this can resonate with audiences".