EN - “Beyond the Steppes” tells the story of a woman’s forced journey to the steppes of Central Asia. Nina, a young Polish woman, is deported with her baby by the Soviet Army in 1940, to the deep hostile lands of the USSR. She has to work in a sovkhoz under the control of the Russian political police. When her child becomes ill, she leaves on a search to find medications with a group of Kazakh nomads. The film draws the intimate and personal experience of this woman, as she’s forced into exile, struggling against the extreme conditions of this inhuman land.

FR - “Beyond the Steppes” raconte l’histoire du voyage forcé d’une femme dans les steppes de l’Asie centrale. Nina, une jeune femme polonaise, est déportée avec son bébé par l’armée soviétique en 1940, vers les pays hostiles de l’URSS. Elle est forcée de travailler dans un sovkhoz, sous le contrôle de la police politique russe.  Lorsque son enfant tombe malade, elle part à la recherche de médicaments avec un groupe de nomades kazakhs. Le film relate l’expérience intime et personnelle de cette femme, dans son exil forcé, combattant contre les conditions extrêmes dans ces pays inhumains.

Info

Title Beyond the Steppes
Original title Beyond the Steppes
Status Completed
Category Features
Year of production 2010

Credits

Cast Agnieszka Grochowska - Nina (Poland), Aleksandra Justa - Jadwiga (Poland), Borys Szyc - Roman (Poland)
Photography Ruben Impens
Editing Virginie Messiaen

Technical specs

Running time film 90'
Release format REDCAM
Sound format Dolby Digital
Colour Colour

Partners

Supported by

Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté Française de Belgique, Polish Film Institute, MEDIA Programme of the European Union

Festivals

2010: Locarno International Film Festival (CHE) / Valladolid International Film Festival (ESP) / International Film Festival Marrakech (MAR) / Le Public Systeme Cinema (FRA)

Awards

2010: Prijs van de Jury (International Film Festival Marrakech)

Beyond the Steppes released in the US

Vanguard Cinema has released Vanja d’Alcantara’s Award winning debut feature Beyond the Steppes on DVD in the US. Earlier this year the release studio did the same for Dorothée Van den Berghe’s My Queen Karo.

Still from Vanja d'Alcantara's Beyond the SteppesBeyond the Steppes tells the story of a woman’s forced journey to the steppes of Central Asia. Nina, a young Polish woman, is deported with her baby by the Soviet Army in 1940, to the deep hostile lands of the USSR, where she is obligated to work under the control of the Russian political police.

Published on Sunday 30 September 2012

Bullhead scores at Flanders Film Awards

Bullhead, Michaël R Roskam's feature film debut, cashed in six of its eight nominations, including Best Film and Best Director, at this year's Flanders Film Awards. Hans Van Nuffel's Oxygen was the second largest winner with two awards. The Flanders Film Awards were presented at the closing night of the fifth Ostend Film Fest.

Matthias Schoenaerts in 'Bullhead'Bullhead received the lion's share of the major awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Debut, Best Actor (Matthias Schoenaerts), Best Supporting Actor (Jeroen Perceval) and Best DOP (Nicolas Karakatsanis). Oxygen also received two awards: Best Screenplay (Hans Van Nuffel and Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem) and Best Supporting Actress (Anemone Valcke). Other awards went to Vanja D'Alcantara's Beyond the Steppes (Best Actress for Agnieszka Grochowska) and Turquaze (Best Music).

Published on Monday 12 September 2011

Oxygen, Bullhead lead Flanders Film Awards noms

Hans Van Nuffel’s Oxygen and Michaël R Roskam’s Bullhead head this year’s list of nominations for the Flanders Film Awards, collecting nine and eight noms respectively in ten categories. The awards ceremony takes place on Saturday 10 September at the fifth Ostend Film Festival.

Actor Stef Aerts in Hans Van Nuffel's OxygenA jury chaired by actor Peter Van den Begin (Frits & FreddyDirty Mind), consisting of Studio 100 topper Hans Bourlon, TV host Phara de Aguirre, actress Els Dottermans, musician Piet Goddaer, former sportsman and columnist Jan Mulder, photographer Lieve Blancquaert and director Christophe Van Rompaey, selected three nominations in each of the ten categories.

Published on Friday 26 August 2011

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Last edited on 6 November 2012

Short info

Director Vanja d'Alcantara
Producer Annemie Degryse
Screenplay Vanja d'Alcantara
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