Haulout (film)

Haulout (Russian: Выход) is a 2022 Russian-British co-production short documentary film written, directed and produced by brother and sister duo Maxim Arbugaev, Evgenia Arbugaeva.

Haulout
Official poster
RussianВыход
Directed by
Screenplay by
Produced by
StarringMaxim Chakilev
Cinematography
Edited by
  • Evgenia Arbugaeva
  • Joshua Chadwick
Production
company
Albireo Films
Distributed by
  • Rise and Shine
  • Gonella Productions
Release date
Running time
25 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • Russia
LanguageRussian

The documentary is about the Russian scientist Maxim Chakilev, who observes the life of walruses at Cape Heart-Stone in the Chukchi Sea. The international title of the film refers to the term hauling-out, which the science describes as the pinnipeds going ashore for resting or mating.[1]

Produced by Albireo Films, the film had its world premiere in February 2022 at 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.[2]

It was selected for Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film and subsequently shortlisted[3][4] and nominated for 95th Academy Awards in said category.[5][6]

Content

The film follows marine biologist Maxim Chakilev to his remote hut in Chukotka, nestled in the vast expanses of the Russian Arctic. Every autumn, he spends three months there. During his sojourn, at night the beach fills up with countless walruses year after year, but far too often ends in the death of some of the animals.

The oceanographer observes that the walruses need a rest period on land and also mate during that time. The warming of the sea and rising temperatures makes the ice recede, which results in the dwindling of living space available for them. Sometimes there are phases in which the water is completely ice-free.

We see raging seas, and are then confronted with an unmanageable crowd of walruses lying body to body. They are so dense that Chakilev is unable to leave his hut through the door and is forced to climb onto the roof of the building. The camera conveys to the viewer the enormous mass of animals pushing ashore. The researcher observing them is inferior to them in his position. A person also seems exceptionally small compared to the many animals and the forces of nature. The noise the walruses make is also nerve-racking. When it's all over, Chakilev can finally go out and count the animals that have been crushed by their own kind. He is sad because the number of deaths is increasing from year to year.

Cast
  • Maxim Chakilev (Marine Biologist)

Production
Two walruses go ashore
Walrus cow and calf in a herd

In 2018, the filmmakers Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev, a sister and brother duo, arrived on a strange beach, working on a photography project about Chukchi people. There they met a marine biologist, Maxim Chakilev, and his work became their documentary, Haulout, which they filmed in 2020. They filmed their documentary in the remote region of Chukotka, visiting walrus beach, called Cape Serdtse-Kamen, which translates to Cape Heart-Stone. Starting in mid-August, they stayed with Chakilev's covering his field season, until the first week of November. Incidentally, in 2020, there were record-high temperatures, and a record-high number of walrus deaths. In this three-month shoot, they were thrice surrounded by walruses tightly packed for about a week each time. They were unable to leave the hut and experienced claustrophobia and excruciating smells.[7]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2022,[8] since then It has been featured in over 30 international venues.[9] In June 2022, it was screened at Seoul International Eco Film Festival,[10] and at Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, where it won Special Jury and Special Mention Award respectively.[11] In September, it was selected as opening film at International Documentary Film Festival Flahertiana, and was screened on 22 September 2022 in International Competition. It won Special Jury Mention award.[12] In October 2022, it was screened at BFI London Film Festival in the "This is Planet Earth" section of short films.[13]

It was shortlisted for Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film.[14]

Reception

The film was featured in the American weekly magazine The New Yorker.[15] Amber Wilkinson reviewing for Eye for Film rated the film with 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "A melancholy tribute to Chakilev's dedication and further evidence of the damage the climate crisis is causing."[16] Elisabeth Nagy reviewing for Riecks film reviews wrote that the focus of the film was on conveying the message of the climate change in the arctic sea, which was made clear with eerily beautiful pictures.[1] Upcoming On Screen rated the film with 4 stars and stated that the tragic and sobering film is essential viewing. Elobrating, they wrote, "Haulout is a powerful documentary that shows the sheer overwhelming scale of the consequences of climate change on beautiful animals in the Arctic."[17] Doreen Matthei reviewing at Berlinale graded the film 9/10 and wrote that Haulout is a portrait of a natural event giving out a strong plea for a better relationship with nature.[18]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Seoul International Eco Film Festival 8 June 2022 Special Jury Award Haulout Won [19]
Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films 26 June 2022 Special Mention Won [20]
International Documentary Film Festival Flahertiana 23 September 2022 Special Mention Won [21]
Cork International Film Festival 20 November 2022 Grand Prix Documentary Short Won [22]
IDA Documentary Awards 10 December 2022 Best Short Documentary Won [23][24][25]
Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best Documentary Short Film Evgenia Arbugaeva, Maxim Arbugaev Nominated [5][26]

State honours
  • Laurel branch-2022: Russian national award in the field of non-fiction films and television.
    • Best Non-Fiction Films of the Author: Haulout by Maxim Arbugaev and Evgenia Arbugaeva[27]

References
  1. Elisabeth Nagy (22 February 2022). "Kicking the Clouds, Tinashé, Haulout und Retreat". Riecks film reviews (in German). Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. "Haulout: Berlinale Shorts 2022". Berlinale. Berlin International Film Festival l. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  3. Giardina, Carolyn (21 December 2022). "2023 Oscars: Shortlists for 95th Academy Awards Unveiled". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  4. "95th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. Lewis, Hilary (24 January 2023). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  6. "2023 Oscars Nominations: See the Full List". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  7. Carolyn Kormann (21 November 2022). "Where Walruses Go When Sea Ice Is Gone". The New Yorker. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  8. Boyce, Laurence (14 February 2022). "Berlinale 2022, Berlinale Shorts:A fresh edition of Berlinale Shorts gets under way". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  9. Song Hye-nam (23 December 2022). ""Выход» — есть: какой российский фильм поборется за «Оскар"" [CULTURE: "Exit" - is: which Russian film will compete for an Oscar]. News Iz (in Russian). MIC Izvestia LLC. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  10. "Haulout, International Competition, Animal Liberation". Seoul International Eco Film Festival. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  11. "2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces Official Selection". Palm Springs International Film Society. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  12. "Flahertiana-2022". IDFF Flahertiana. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. "This is Planet Earth". BFI London Film Festival. 9 October 2022. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  14. Davis, Clayton (22 December 2022). "Oscar Predictions: Documentary Short – A Category Stacked With Heartfelt Tales, Polar Bears and Linsanity". Variety. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  15. "Five New Yorker Films Receive 2023 Academy Award Nominations". The New Yorker. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  16. Wilkinson, Amber (11 January 2023). "Haulout". Eye for Film. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  17. Wilkinson, Amber (14 October 2022). "Haulout (Short Film) ★★★★ London Film Festival 2022". Upcoming On Screen. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  18. Doreen Matthei (11 May 2022). ""Haulout" (2022)" ["Haulout" (2022)]. Testkammer (in German). Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  19. "The Winners of the 19th Seoul International Eco Film Festival". Seoul International Eco Film Festival. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  20. "2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces Festival Winners". Palm Springs International Film Society. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  21. "Flahertiana-2022". IDFF Flahertiana. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  22. Abbatescianni, Davide (21 November 2022). "FESTIVALS / AWARDS Ireland:Ann Oren's Piaffe snags the Spirit of the Festival Award at Cork". Cineuropa. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  23. "38th IDA Documentary Awards Shortlists for Best Features and Shorts". International Documentary Association. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  24. Carey, Matthew (11 November 2022). "'All That Breathes,' 'Fire Of Love' Erupt As IDA Documentary Awards Nominations Announced". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  25. Thompson, Anne (11 December 2022). "'All That Breathes' Wins Best Feature at the IDA Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  26. 2023|Oscars.org
  27. David (2 December 2022). "The finalists of the non-fiction film award "Laurel branch-2022" have been announced". News Unrolled. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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