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Songs of Duolan

Logline:

When military mobilization began in Russia, Doulan left Yakutia for Georgia. He turned his apartment into a small kitchen to make a living selling sushi. In Batumi, where little reminds him of home, Doulan searches for something that might bring back the feeling of his homeland - in the local landscapes, people, signs, and even animals. Sometimes, he plays Yakut songs and sings along, hoping to at least mentally transport himself back to the place he left behind.

- "Songs of Duolan" is part of "Short Film Market Picks" at the 2025 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, selected from nearly 9,000 submitted films, with 346 films labeled. February.
- Regard Bleu Ethnographic Film Festival 2025, Zurich. March.
- Artdocfest 2025, Riga. March.
- Hamburg’s Kinohafen Film Forum, 2025. March.

Director’s note:

The authorities in Moscow are turning the Republic of Sakha into a resource colony, destroying nature and causing environmental disasters. Colonial policies are eroding the identity of the Sakha people, suppressing freedom of speech and art that explores national history and self-awareness. Young people are forced to leave in search of freedom, losing not only their land but also their future. The Sakha people are losing their culture, their land, and their hope for self-determination.
I was born in Yakutia, and Sakha is my native language. I also left my homeland, and in this movie I see my personal story. I am deeply interested in how a person, torn away from his land, language and culture, tries to build a new life for himself. Will they succeed in creating a new life? Are they being honest with themselves when they say they feel freer? These are questions that concern me as well, and I seek answers through my characters. We have all started a new life, and war has been a terrible driving force behind this change.

  • Sakhamin Trofimov
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 15, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Georgia
  • Country of Filming:
    Georgia
  • Language:
    English, Russian, Yakut
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Un/Filmed
  • "Short Film Market Picks" at the 2025 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival.
    Clermont-Ferrand
    France
    Short Film Market Picks
  • IDFF Artdocfest/Riga
    Riga
    Latvia
    March 1, 2025
    Official selection IDFF Artdocfest/Riga Online
  • Regard Bleu Film Festival
    Zürich
    Switzerland
    March 15, 2025
  • Kinohafen Film Forum
    Hamburg
    Germany
    March 16, 2025
    Competition Program
  • Rhodope International Film Festival
    Smolyan
    Bulgaria
    July 13, 2025
  • New Directors | New Films Festival
    Espinho
    Portugal
    June 25, 2025
Director Biography - Sakhamin Trofimov

Sakhamin Trofimov is a documentary filmmaker and producer from Yakutia (Republic of Sakha, Russia).

He began his career in the Yakut film industry in 2018.

In 2020, he graduated from the Docdocdoc School of Documentary Photography in Saint Petersburg and completed his first photo project focused on hunting traditions in Yakutia.

In 2024, Sakhamin graduated from the Un/Filmed Documentary School in the USA and directed his debut documentary film, Songs of Duolan. That same year, the project was presented at the East-West Talent Lab during the Go East Film Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany.

In 2023, Sakhamin was granted political asylum in France through the support of L'atelier des Artistes en Exil. His work explores decolonial themes, addressing issues related to indigenous peoples, human rights, and environmental concerns. He is currently based in Lyon, France.

Professional Experience:
2024 Producer of post-production “Yakutia Between The World” (Native Spirit Film Festival)
2024 Producer of documentary “Kolymana” (Yakutia)
2023 Co-producer of documentary “Ded Moroz is searching for a future” (Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia).
2022 Programmer Andrey Tarkovsky Film Festival “Zerkalo”, Yakut film program. (Russia)
2022 Distribution “In Limbo”, director: Alexander Hant (Russia)
2021 Executive producer, “Aita”, director: Stepan Burnashev (Yakutia)
2021 PR, distribution, sales, festivals, “Yt”, directors: Dmitry Davydov, Stepan Burnashev. (Yakutia)
Warsaw Film Festival.
2020 PR, distribution, “Black Snow”, director: Stepan Burnashev (Yakutia)
2018 Production manager, “Cursed Land” director: Stepan Burnashev (Yakutia)

Education:
2024 Un/Filmed. Education in school of documentary filmmaking. (USA)
2024 East-West Talent Lab, (Documentary Film Lab), goEast IFF, Wiesbaden, Germany.
2020 Docdocdoc, School of Documentary Photography, Saint-Petersburg.
2022 LetsDOC Film Lab, Flahertiana IDFF, Perm.

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Director Statement

The authorities in Moscow are turning the Republic of Sakha into a resource colony, destroying nature and causing environmental disasters. Colonial policies are eroding the identity of the Sakha people, suppressing freedom of speech and art that explores national history and self-awareness. Young people are forced to leave in search of freedom, losing not only their land but also their future. The Sakha people are losing their culture, their land, and their hope for self-determination.
I was born in Yakutia, and Sakha is my native language. I also left my homeland, and in this movie I see my personal story. I am deeply interested in how a person, torn away from his land, language and culture, tries to build a new life for himself. Will they succeed in creating a new life? Are they being honest with themselves when they say they feel freer? These are questions that concern me as well, and I seek answers through my characters. We have all started a new life, and war has been a terrible driving force behind this change.