🎥 Cannes: International project from Yakut director Stepan Burnashev announced

Japan’s Cloud11 Studios, France’s Les films du Sillon, and Stepan Burnashev’s Hong Kong-based Saidam Baryl Ltd. have joined forces to produce a new feature film under the working title Almost There.

A Yakut journey through Japan

The project is envisioned as an intimate, profound road movie with a distinct auteur voice, tailored for the international arthouse circuit.

Set in Japan, the narrative revolves around a chance encounter between a local Japanese man and a native of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Despite coming from entirely different cultures, mindsets, and backgrounds, both characters find themselves in an identical emotional impasse, unable to let go of their pasts. Their shared journey to a destination where they must confront old traumas gradually evolves into a deep human connection that redefines their initial goals.

Stepan Burnashev, who has established himself as one of the definitive voices of contemporary Yakut cinema with films like Aita, Our Winter, and Black Snow, plans to finalize the script and launch production in 2027.

Male vulnerability

According to the filmmakers, the movie will explore themes of isolation, memory, and what is commonly described as “male vulnerability.”

“This is a understated yet emotionally intense male drama,” says Stepan Burnashev. “It is a story about two individuals who appear completely different on the surface, but both carry things they never learned to express. One hides behind movement, confidence, and the habit of always moving forward, while the other lives in silence, doubt, and under the weight of unresolved questions.”

To balance the dramatic tension, the creators promise to infuse the film with light humor stemming from language barriers and cultural misunderstandings, while meditative Japanese landscapes will provide a contemplative atmosphere to the narrative.

Producer perspectives

The project is produced by Hiroyuki Yoshihara (Cloud11 Studios) and Emmanuel Faucillon (Les films du Sillon). The team is currently focused on securing additional financing.

Hiroyuki Yoshihara: “What hooked us was the project’s confidence. The film doesn’t try to be something it’s not; it trusts its own rhythm, characters, and silence. It is precisely this cinematic precision that will allow the picture to travel successfully around the world.”

Emmanuel Faucillon: “We were struck by the project’s emotional depth and its quiet strength. Yakut culture is increasingly expanding beyond its borders and building new bridges with the East. One can only applaud the director’s determination to keep creating when destructive forces are at play around us.”