The best Kazakh projects of recent years that you might have missed but must watch. Because first – love for Kazakhstan, and then – everything else.
Kazakh cinema in recent years is ready to surprise its audience not only with worthy projects from young directors, but also with original genres. Yes, not all of them can be quickly found online, but we recommend adding these projects to your watchlist to start getting acquainted with the country's creative output.
While genre and non-mainstream cinema conquers Berlinale, Cannes and other festivals, receiving prestigious global awards, we have compiled a top list of films and series from the last three years. Moreover, among them are not only the tiresome comedies and melodramas, but something much more interesting.
« ҚАШ »
Director: Aisultan Seitov
We open the top with a film that hasn't been released yet but has already become the most anticipated project of the year. This is the first feature film by a well-known Kazakh music video director. You are definitely familiar with his work if you are immersed in the world of music and watch Dudy's interviews. It is precisely because of the great love of his compatriots that all attention is now focused on the director's first big premiere – the film «ҚАШ». The film will only be released on December 1st, but it is already receiving rave reviews for its choice of theme, the authentic and minimalist visuals in the trailer, and the gorgeous posters.
The events of the film unfold during the collectivization and mass famine of the 1930s. The central figure of the story is a gravedigger. When distrust grows among the villagers and they are ready to kill for a piece of bread, the hero faces a difficult choice that will determine the fate of the entire village.
Where to watch: in Kazakh theaters from December 1st.
«Goliath»
Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
A festival film that first impressed Western critics, and then local audiences. What's interesting here is not only the beautiful visuals, but also the dramatic plot, as well as the themes that come to the forefront – the relationship between a leader and a society of people, and the theme of revenge.
The plot of the film unfolds in the village of Karatas, which is under the rule of the local authority Poshaev. He provides the locals with shelter and work, but mercilessly executes those who dare to oppose him. The same fate awaits the family of the poor man Arzu, whose wife reports the crimes happening in Karatas to the police.
«5:32»
Director: Alisher Utev
Perhaps one of the main hit series of the last decade in Kazakhstan, and maybe even in the entire CIS region. The series about maniacs has definitely incorporated the best traditions of this genre of cinema and conveyed all the horror, fear, and heavy, dark context of real events. The title is a big reference to verses from the Quran about the murder of a person. And the stories themselves – although fictional – are based on prototypes from the real case files of that time.
A young police officer turns to former investigator of especially serious crimes Shalkar for help. A maniac has appeared in the city, whose modus operandi is similar to a serial killer he caught in the 1990s. Shalkar joins the investigation and recalls the cases he handled.
Where to watch: YouTube / Aitube
«Sheker»
Director: Aitore Zholdaskali
Another crime drama, but this time the action takes place in the present day. It's a story about a student who solves his academic problems through criminal means. It raises issues of easy money, drugs, and youth behavior. The project has also won numerous prestigious awards at international competitions.
Second-year student Aldiyar finds out he is being expelled from university. To keep this from his strict father, he must quickly find a large sum of money and get reinstated. Unable to think of anything better, he becomes a courier for a synthetic drug store. Gradually, Aldiyar gets a taste for it, forgetting his goal, and sinks deeper into the synthetic swamp, chasing easy money.
Where to watch: START
«Three»
Director: Ruslan Pak
The film is not a pleasant one, as its central theme is the real story of a Soviet cannibal. The footage here is quite harsh. The film is based on an interview with the investigator who handled the case, and the story is shown through the eyes of a young policeman who caught the maniac.
Serial killer and cannibal, also known as the Iron Fang, Nikolai Dzhumagaliev killed and ate at least 10 people, mostly women living in the Almaty region. He was found insane by the court and committed to a psychiatric hospital for compulsory treatment, until his escape in 1989, but was caught two years later and is currently serving his sentence.
Where to watch: Kinopoisk.
«Black, Black Man»
Director Adilkhan Yerzhanov
The flourishing of Kazakh art-house, intimate visuals, and superb acting came with a crime drama about a mysterious murder. The film first collected numerous international awards, including the prestigious 'Asian' Oscar, and then became the main hit of auteur cinema in the country itself. Many critics compare the film to the plots of Bong Joon-ho or other South Korean cinema.
A boy is killed in a village. Investigator Bekzat wants to close the case quickly, as the local police have already found a culprit. The case falls apart when a journalist from the city intervenes. Now the investigator will have to conduct a real investigation by the book, for the first time in his career.
Where to watch: ivi
«The Gambler»
Director: Dias Bertis
The creators of the series took as a basis a topic that is rarely shown in cinema from a negative perspective – gambling addiction. In addition, during the preparation of the project, several interviews and research projects were conducted to accurately study the disease of ludomania. «The Gambler» became the first Kazakh web project to make the shortlist of the international London International Short Film Festival.
Daniyar is experiencing financial difficulties. He approaches solving problems in an original way: through betting. But gradually the world of betting consumes him, and stopping will not be so easy.
Where to watch: Aitube
«Dos-Mukasan»
Director: Aidyn Sakhamanov
A film about the creative journey of a famous musical ensemble in the country. And one of the best, perhaps the only, domestic film in the musical genre. The main themes here are questions of friendship, fame, and the choice between art or science. The film does a very good job of recreating the Soviet era, shooting crowd scenes, and conveying the ideology.
«Paralympian»
Director: Aldiyar Bairakimov
Another pioneer of the genre, but this time a sports drama for Kazakhstan. The film was very warmly received by the audience – they noted not only the well-developed plot but also the acting.
Maksat is a young and promising skier who has dreamed of winning Olympic gold since childhood. But due to a terrible accident, he loses his leg. The athlete remains in depression for a long time, until he is offered to try his hand at the Paralympic Games.
«Yellow Cat»
Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
The genre of this film was jokingly called steppe noir. Despite the fact that the theme is a domestic conflict and a 'social' issue understandable to everyone. Film critics immediately note that the film takes many ideas to the point of absurdity, and the sublime here collides with the funny and banal. First you see a mega-epic picture like from an action movie or a solid drama, and then the pathos is replaced by irony and turns into a tragicomedy.
Kermek returns to his hometown after a prison sentence and sees that everything has changed greatly – the city is ruled by a criminal group that has established its own ruthless rules. His beloved girl Eva, under pressure from these people, turns out to be completely lost and led astray, and Kermek himself becomes mired in crime. However, he has a dream – to break free with his beloved and build a cinema. And he decides to achieve this goal at any cost.
Where to watch: Kinopoisk.
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