Screening
Baikonur

Part of Rural Route Film Festival
Sunday, August 4, 2013, 5:00 p.m.

With local food provided by William Hallet from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and live music performances by Vlada Tomova's Bulgarian Voices Trio (Bulgarian and Russian folk harmonies) at 1:00–1:45 p.m. and 4:00–4:45 p.m. in the Museum's courtyard

Germany/Russia/Kazakhstan. Dir. Veit Helmer. 2011, 94 mins. With Alexander Asochakov, Marie de Villepin, Sitora Farmonova. “Whatever falls from heaven, you may keep.” So goes the unwritten law of the Kazakh steppes. For the inhabitants of a small village, especially the youthful Iskander, living just downwind from the Baikonur Cosmodrome means that what “falls from heaven” is actually valuable space debris from Russian rockets. Iskander uses his radio expertise to follow launches and calculate where to find the cast-off material. Something goes wrong with the latest space millionaire tourist lift-off, and he is there to rescue the beautiful French woman inside the crashed capsule. He hides her in his yurt and, as she suffers from amnesia, Iskander is able to pretend they are engaged. In this offbeat romantic comedy, Iskander has turned the ancient law of the steppes to his own advantage, but even the most romantic lie cannot remain undiscovered forever.

Preceded by:
Reindeer
Dir. Eva Weber. 2011, 3 mins. An impressionistic, haunting portrait of Sámi reindeer herding in the twilight expanses of the Lappish wilderness.

Was du nicht siehst...I spy with my little eye
Dir. Gunda Aurich. 2012, 15 mins. After an argument with her boyfriend during their countryside getaway, Laura meets a mysterious stranger picking mushrooms in the forest.

Free with Museum admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Museum members may reserve tickets in advance by calling 718 777 6800. For more information about becoming a Museum member and to join online, please click here.

Trailer for Baikonur
Related Links
Review by Variety, October 8, 2011