The Daughter of the Golden Steppe

Inspiration

I live in Kazakhstan — the steppe is my home and Tengri stories were always around me. I’ve loved those myths since I was a kid. A few years ago I even started a book about that world, but it never happened. Making this film with AI finally let me put those stories on screen the way I imagined them.

What it does

The Daughter of the Golden Steppe is a short cinematic fantasy film made with AI. It’s a mythic, visual story about a young shaman-warrior who protects the steppe from things that come from below. It’s meant to entertain, but also to share a piece of Central Asian culture and feeling that you don’t often see.

How we built it

I used Freepik AI Suite to create most of the visuals and art — it gave me what I needed for characters and environments. I edited the sequence in CapCut, and I made the voiceover with ElevenLabs. Everything was produced by me with these tools and a lot of prompt work.

Challenges we ran into

The action scenes were the hardest part. Getting believable fights, timing, and movement with AI tools is tricky — the models don’t always keep continuity or correct motion in fast cuts. That took a lot of iteration.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m proud that the story feels clear and immersive, and that the characters are consistent shot to shot. The world — the mood, the color, the mythic tone — came together in a way I didn’t expect I could achieve by myself.

What we learned

I learned how to push AI tools past my 30-second comfort zone and keep a single visual style across many shots. I figured out how to write and refine prompts so characters stay consistent, and how to structure a short film that actually reads emotionally from start to finish. I'm not adept at video making and I hope I will learn soon to make better work.

What's next for The Daughter of the Golden Steppe

I’d like to expand this into a series of short episodes using AI and social platforms. There’s a lot more in Tengri myths I want to explore — Ayna’s journey, other spirits, and the places between worlds. I’ll keep experimenting and sharing the process online.

Built With

• capcut
• elevenlabs
• freepik
• hailuoai