Folk horror movie Thaw has landed a co-production deal believed to be the first between a Yakut and an American film company, Variety reports today.
Saidam Baryl and Argentic Productions will co-produce the feature, written and directed by Yakutian filmmaker Stepan Burnashev.
Thaw is set “in a remote Yakutian village, where an American filmmaker investigating thawing permafrost gets caught up in a local teenager named Sardaana’s shamanic initiation.”
It’s said to explore “the intersection of climate science and indigenous beliefs, blending documentary-style observation with spiritual and psychological elements.“
“In Western culture, experiences like this are often framed as possession requiring exorcism,“ Burnashev said. “In Sakha tradition, it is understood as the beginning of becoming a shaman — a calling, a responsibility. ‘Thaw‘ invites audiences to see this transformation not as something to drive out, but something to understand.”
Burnashev has developed a reputation in contemporary Yakutian cinema for atmospheric storytelling. Last month, Prime Video launched four of his films, including the horror title Cursed Land-Fate.
KT Kent of Argentic Productions described the project as “a distinctive voice piece — elevated folk-horror with cultural specificity, real place, and international upside.”
Production is targeting a 2026 or early 2027 festival debut, so expect pre-production to get underway soon. Stay tuned.
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