Discoveries from Kyrgyzstan World Cinema

Sequel to the hit Kirgiz horror film.

In Kyrgyzstan, a growing number of young people are preparing to migrate to Germany to work as nurses. A training program places them in elderly care facilities in Pirna, a small town in eastern Germany. “Why Germany, and why nursing?” the young Kyrgyz are asked when they apply for the program. A German filmmaker travels between the countries and captures perceptions about Germany from afar, as well as attitudes of senior citizens from Pirna regarding the current care system. In both places, she meets people who are contemplating their future and growing old, who may one day cross paths in the small town of Pirna.

The film is dedicated to the capital of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek and its young people. They have dreams how to find their ways in life. There is a couple which meets after 5 years of separation in the airport and she finds out that he has a wife and kids. There are 2 candidates for a job, but one is a son of rich and established family, so he got the place through family connections while a poor guy stays jobless. There are a grandson and grandfather who broke a vase and try to find another one, so the mother/daughter would not notice the loss. It is all about our life, nice daily stories of a small town citizen.

Zamir and Ainura want nothing more than to start a family, but when they adopt a quiet young boy named Ulan following a devastating miscarriage, they start experiencing strange and terrifying phenomena and are soon convinced that Ulan has been followed by the "albarsty" demon of Kyrgyz folklore.

"The Penthouse" is a psychological thriller that follows Saina and David, a young family who moves into a luxurious penthouse in Kuala Lumpur to start a new life.

Pati, a student of journalism, decides to shoot her graduation film in Dzhabana in Kyrgyzstan. She is specially interested in the provincial town's vicinity to the nearby state frontier, which plays a major role in many of the townspeople's lives. Shima, Kycha and Baton use a stretch of fallow ground on the border to smuggle goods in their home-made four-wheel drive. Pati bumps into the threesome soon after her arrival in Dzhabana, when she recognizes her freshly stolen camera in the hands of its new owner: Baton. Pati strikes up an ambiguous relationship with the gang. She joins their tours as an observer at first, but soon takes a more active part. Then Shima comes up with a scheme to smuggle a stolen luxury vehicle: a cross-border wedding procession with the bridal couple in the limousine...

Twelve-year-old Jekshen, an exceptional runner, lives in a beautiful mountain village in Kyrgyzstan. His parents are divorced, and life with his alcoholic father is difficult. Lonely Jekshen only has his girlfriend from school and his father’s friends for support. They encourage him to take part in a big race—a race that could change his life for the better.

Malsat, a famous professional Kök Börü player gets expelled from a champion team for refusing to play on an injured horse. Upon returning to his native village, he finds out that his villagers' land is in danger. He decides to assemble a team from non-professional players and participate in the country's most prestigious Kök Börü Championship Cup.

69-year-old Taalai has kept the image of his first love in his heart all his life, rejecting new feelings. But fate gives him a chance: a friend convinces him to open his heart again, and the mysterious Mahabat brings light into his life.

Based on true events, several stories about disempowerment of women, are closely intertwined, affecting to each other's, unfolding against the background of the traditional, patriarchal society of modern-day Kyrgyzstan ultimately result in a series of tragic outcomes. The realities of modern-day Kyrgyzstan, despite the status of a "secular state", are violence, hypocrisy, and widespread infringement of the rights of women who are stay a socially unprotected part of the population. Under the conditions of aggressive propaganda of both patriarchal and radical, religious ideology, the ideas of feminism in Kyrgyzstan are equated with the popularization of LGBTQ communities, are openly criticized and the justice system, in most cases, takes the side of murderers and rapists.

After the Kyrgyzstan Independence in 1991, the ancient practice of Ala-Kachuu ("grab and run") returned. Some women escape the men that kidnap them, but many remain married because of tradition and the fear of scandal.

tercerosombra is a surreal and experimental short film about suppressed emotions, childhood fears, bodily anxiety and the fragile relationship between memory and identity. Through fragmented tableaux, symbolic imagery and unsettling transitions, the film follows an emotional rather than narrative logic. Built around symmetrical compositions, distorted time perception and dreamlike visual metaphors, the film explores the psychological weight of trauma and the silent violence of inner collapse. Each scene functions almost like a living painting, slowly revealing pieces of a fractured subconscious. The film combines absurdism, psychological horror and poetic visual storytelling to create an intimate but disturbing cinematic experience.

A terrible tragedy occurs in Zamir's family. The eldest daughter Aidai, who blames herself for what happened, falls into depression and begins to suffer from nightmares and hallucinations. After unsuccessful attempts to help her through traditional treatments, Zamir turns to the ginologist Seyit, who is famous for his unusual methods. However, as the dark secrets associated with the mysterious house by the lake are revealed, Seyit realizes that the family's problems are much deeper than he could have imagined.

A young couple, Saina and David, who move from the U.S. to Kuala Lumpur, settling into a luxurious penthouse with hopes of starting a new life. However, their dreams quickly turn into a nightmare. Saina begins hearing strange noises and seeing a ghost, losing her grip on reality. David believes this is just her exhausted mind playing tricks, attributing it to postpartum depression, stress, and fatigue. But when Saina starts suspecting that her husband might be involved in these “supernatural” events, the distinction between truth and illusion blurs. Is there really a ghost haunting their home, or is David hiding something far more terrifying?

The devil’s struggle for his love for a human, and a human’s reflection on whether one can remain in love even after death.

After his wife’s death, Bolot raises his daughter Kyial, who once defeated cancer. But the illness returns, and there is almost no time left. When he learns about her secret diary of wishes, Bolot decides to take Kyial out of the hospital and fulfill every one of her dreams. Joining them on this journey is Kyial’s best friend, Joki — a grown man on the autism spectrum, who in his own way helps them endure the pain and rediscover the value of every single day.

A family of nomads lives in the remote high mountains of Kyrgyzstan...

Four stories with different characters. There is only one thing in common: Boshetunmai.

A tomboy girl Arno, one of five sisters, strives to become the son her father has always longed for. As she navigates the challenges of growing up, Arno learns to accept herself and takes responsibility for her own wishes.

Aktan Abdykalikov's simple, clear-eyed poetry finds an elemental form here. Two twin brothers are walking down the road carrying a pail of water, they fight and come to blows, and a bemused older man intervenes and sets them back on their way. It's that simple and it's that lovely. A graduate of the Art School of Kyrghyzstan, Aktan Abdykalyko (or Abdikalikov) first worked as a set designer for Kirgisfilm. After several well-received documentaries and short films, his first feature-length fiction film, Beshkempir, won several awards including the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival.

A 20-minute documentary film about the Kyrgyz people living by the Narym River.

One day, Nazar walks into the studio of his partner’s ex-husband, Arsen. He looks around his computer and finds something that changes his life. Arsen is an artist who creates fictional worlds into which he loses himself. The romance between reality and the imaginary begins. Dreams and fantasies are forever intertwined with life here and now.

Episodic portrait of the absurdities of Kyrgyz village life in the summer.

A modern parable about three brothers whom life has divided as they each went their separate ways. Of their happy childhood and adolescent years together, only a black-and-white photograph remains, capturing the three young men at a table in front of their family home, and memories of the greenhouse that was their father's pride.

Wanderlust refers to the desire to wander, to explore the world, be free, and feel like a stranger in your surroundings. When the wanderlust takes over you, you know that the adventure has begun, but not where or when it ends. And how do you make a documentary without an end? This is one of the questions that directors Cristiana Pecci and Matteo Maggi ponder on his film The Fifth Sun.

Mini-almanac created by teenagers - about fears and concerns. What are these fears? In today's troubled world, what causes danger? Darkness, height or something else??

Serikpai and Amir grow up without a father, who once went to work in Russia, but never returned. They are waiting for him and hoping. Waiting for her husband and wife Polina. She remembers the short happiness of her former life. She tries to resist the current life, but it is given to her at too high a price…

Under Heaven, written and directed by Dalmira Tilepbergen, is a modern day re-working of the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, set in a remote mountain village in Central Asia. Two brothers, rebellious Kerim and conscientious Aman, live with their mother and work at the family stonemason business. Their father has been forced to work away in Russia in order to pay off Kerim's debts, incurred as a result of his eldest son's drug dealing activities. The brothers both fall for a local village girl, Saltanat, which ultimately leads to a bitter dispute and unforeseen and tragic consequences...

The Kyrgyz government is offering humanitarian aid to ethnic Kyrgyz roaming the Wakhan Corridor in northeastern Afghanistan. Many inhabitants of this region leave their highland homes in search of a new life. Among those who get the opportunity to move to Kyrgyzstan with their family is Nurulkhak. Despite government support, education and housing, adapting to a new way of life is not easy. The difference in life experiences creates an abyss between locals and newcomers. Nurulkhak realizes that the urban way of life cannot give him the freedom that once accompanied him in nature.

Orozbek, a joyful boy who loves to draw, lives with his grandmother in a remote village deep in the snowy mountains. He has to walk a long distance to school, and one day the stream washes over its banks, blocking his way.

A river reflects everything without carrying it away. But time — it takes everything away without reflecting anything... A story about teenagers in Kyrgyzstan.

A retired writer is living his last days as a famous and poor writer in a society increasingly concerned by wealth. A widower, he has no children and his only wish is that literature continues to bring enlightenment to his small and disillusioned nation.

The world is on high alert, a nuclear bomb is incoming. A couple reveal secrets until the desperate end.

The continuation of the family comedy. The Koichubekov family travels to Osh to attend Katya's father's 60th birthday party this time. As is customary, they bring their neighbors Bakyt and Kanykey with them. All the interesting events begin at the 60th birthday party. Because this time Sapar's children join the special relationship between Sapar and his mother-in-law.

A puzzling fable about human relations inspired by Samuel Beckett (in Kyrgyz, beket means station). At a bus stop amid a snowy winter landscape, people wait. A boy, an adult, and an old man are at first joined by a woman, and then a disruptive drunk.

Based on a story from Talip Ibraimov’s collection „The Old man and the Angel“. Angels can be heralds of positive or negative messages. „Night Accident“ has two main characters: the old man (Akolbek Abdõkalõkov) and the girl (Dina Jakob). The old man is alone, humiliated and despised. He is on his way to kill the man, who broke up his family and destroyed his life, but has an accident – he hits a girl. The old man takes her home and starts to treat her wounds.

An orphan is torn about discovering the truth about his birth mother. When he reunites with his beloved girl, his life transforms, and he gains hope.

A man confronted with the fear of being forgotten after death resorts to various absurd methods to be remembered after he dies, but ultimately realizes that the way to achieve lasting impact is not through being remembered by others, but through the moments and feelings he experienced.

A young entrepreneur, Meder, decides to put his family plans on hold in search of career growth. Accidentally traveling to the future, he suddenly realizes that his 20-year-old son, who was abandoned in the womb, is anxiously searching for his father. To improve his life, he needs to make friends with his unsuspecting son and at the same time learn to be a father, a friend, and a person, but is Meder ready for such a turn of events?

A small village is situated on the picturesque shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Nazik, a 7 year old girl, lives there with her mother Rumiya, a young and bold beauty. Rumiya works at a trout farm. After the collapse of the Soviet empire everyone struggles to survive in this remote mountainous region, where the “world financial crisis” means little to the locals. Only Nazik continues to live in her own make-believe world of fairy-tale, which is reflected in her drawings.

Art and life are different worlds, separated by an impassable abyss. Where there is life, there is no art, and vice versa. Young artists have to make that choice, sometimes from a rather young age.

This time, Asanov and Koichubekov are going to Talas for a wedding. To shorten the journey, they chose to go through Kazakhstan. But as soon as they enter Kazakhstan, problems begin. Of course, it's all for Sapar.

A day in the life of Tatyana Prokopenko, a courageous woman from Mailuu-Suu, an all-but ghost town in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan.

Set in the vibrant, transitional period of 1990s Bishkek, Maksat, a young street-smart boxer with a tender heart, and Aisulu, a kind and principled university student from a respectable family. Despite coming from vastly different worlds — Maksat being an orphan and Aisulu having a privileged upbringing — the two fall in love. Their romance unfolds through everyday moments: strolls in the park, house parties, and small but meaningful gestures, such as gifting chewing gum. Their bond grows stronger in the face of social pressure and parental disapproval, especially as Aisulu is being pushed towards marriage with Tilek, a deceptive, self-serving man who doesn't love Aisulu. As the film merges the past and present, we follow the couple into old age, witnessing a love that endures all obstacles and hardships that come their way.

Film student fails to complete her senior project while fighting with her critical father and getting dumped by her boyfriend.

Two years ago, Asya from Moscow met Zhanybek, a taxi driver from Kyrgyzstan. They fell in love and began to live together. At the beginning of 2021, Zhanybek flew home for a month, and upon his return, he learned that he was banned from entering Russia for two years due to administrative violations - smoking in the wrong place, improper parking and driving with broken headlights. Asya followed her beloved man to Kyrgyzstan to discover an unknown country, about which we hear so often and do not really know anything. The film began as a video for a new song by the band "Zorkiy", and became a portrait of two people trying to be free in a very unstable world, shot by the band's lead singer Vasily Zorkiy and cameraman Adeline Dzivaeva.

The teacher of Physical Education in a rural school has to provide for his family by panning for gold in the river Naryn.

The Great Silk Road is the name for a mountain trade route now identifiable only by train tracks; it is on these tracks that our film finds four children at play, not far from their Kirghizstan village. A train meanders down the mountain and, following an argument, an artist is unceremoniously thrown-off a carriage and (so) eventually encounters the children.

In 1957, Chinghiz Aitmatov, a young Kyrgyz student from the Moscow Literature Institute, destined to become one of the great writers of our time, arrives at a Kyrgyz village to receive the blessing of Sayakbay Karalayev, the famous narrator of the epic poem Manas. Looking back upon his life, Sayakbay recalls a number of historical events which took place throughout Kyrgyz and Soviet history.

The story is about a stammering teen who finds the courage and strength to overcome his fears thanks to the platonic love he shares with his classmate.