Discoveries from Kazakhstan World Cinema

Baqyt is a guy who can't find work despite having several diplomas. He dreams of moving with his family to Astana, treating his sick brother and taking care of his aging mother. Unexpectedly, he gets a job as a personal assistant to Alibek, the authoritative head of the oil holding. There, Baqyt meets my beautiful and ambitious Anim, and the two fall in love. However, fate prepares another test. When his brother's health deteriorates, Alibek gives a helping hand. But he also knows that he is passionate about Anim. Despite the new position, an apartment and a car, Baqyt does not find happiness.

Dastan can no longer stand the constant nagging of his highly pregnant wife and decides to run away for at least one day with his friends. The men go fishing, which would have gone smoothly, if not for a series of unforeseen events.

A young girl comes from Almaty to Moscow to visit her best friend, with whom she is secretly in love. She wants to confess her feelings to him, but the events of one night completely change her attitude.

An old man and his old woman live in a remote Kazakh village. People call the old man Shorty Kairgali without malice. Kairgali has known his old lady, Kulpash, since high school. So they've been together for forty years. And maybe even more. Shorty also has two restless friends: Baybet and Saskebai, who were once in love with Kulpash. And then one day…

Seker is a girl who was raised as a son by a father who wanted his first child to be a boy as tradition in the countryside family demands. When Seker approaches the age of adolescence she faces a mandate from the local school: put on a dress or don't return. So finally gaining her father's permission she turns from a fist-fighting boy into a blossoming young girl.

A harrowing look at a boys' prison in Kazakhstan. Excerpts of this video were aired on a "60 Minutes" segment in 1997

A group of candidates undergoes trials to earn the maroon beret (special forces traditional hat). There are three friends among them who try to stick together - Ruslan, Kaysar, and Aibyn. Ruslan and Kaysar are taking the tough exam for the first time, while for Aibyn, it's his third attempt. Each of them dreams of joining the National Guard special unit, but only one of them is destined to make it to the final.

Against the backdrop of a conflict between former friends, and now a soldier and a prisoner, events break out that will make them make a difficult choice. This choice changed the history and attitude to true heroism.

A successful careerist is in the love triangle between her shy colleague and high-profile boss. Thinking that she can't get involved with married men anymore Elya tries online dating and falls in love with some mysterious dude in the Internet.

Madi, a young repatriate from China, comes to Kazakhstan at the invitation of the National University to take part in a prestigious scientific competition. Local students, who are biased against immigrants, prevent Madi from achieving his goal. Meanwhile, his father asks him to find a missing relative who turns out to be a former criminal. Madi is torn between ambitions and family commitments, trying to find her way in two opposite worlds.

After her father's untimely death, Saltanat is forced to trade her idyllic countryside life for the cruel city. She has to find money to pay off the large family debt that her father left behind, in order to save her mother from jail. Friends since their village childhood, her loyal, but penniless admirer Kuandyk follows her just to make sure his sweetheart is safe. Saltanat's uncle introduces her to a possible groom, who promises to pay off her family's debts. But Saltanat's hopes are dashed, when she discovers that the men in this city don't keep their word. When Kuandyk tries to help Saltanat get the money through other ways, he ends up finding himself in more trouble than he bargained for. Although life keeps dealing them bad hands, Saltanat and Kuandyk never give up, no matter what the odds.

The story of Batyr the bank clerk, a poker gambler. One day, having put everything on the line, he fails. And from that moment on, his life will not be the same.

The plot revolves around the fascinating and dangerous adventures of four friends who stole 10 million euros from the Chinese Triad. The main character of the film works in one of the Kazakh banks and is a classic representative of the "office plankton". He dreams of more and suddenly his dreams lead to the fact that he and his friends fall into the hands of corrupt police officers with suspicion of an attempted bank robbery

Somewhere in the endless steppes of Central Asia lies a treasure. Frenchman Charles holds the key, a fragment of an ancient map. But in his restless quest, Charles seeks neither fame nor glory, but for a way to heal his wounded soul. He's looking for love. Ulzhan felt it the first time she laid eyes on him.

The official Kairat wins the tender for the construction of the hospital. He promises to make a world-class clinic out of it, but it turns out to be just beautiful words, but in fact a corrupt official builds himself a luxurious dacha with taxpayers' money. Soon the financial police will find out about it, and in order not to go to jail, Kairat, on the advice of his lawyer, decides to pretend to be sick and lie in the hospital. Ironically, he finds himself in the very clinic that he shamelessly robbed.

The father of the family, Nursultan Kopzhasarovich, respected in society, owns the entire farm in the village, so his only son Bolat grows up careless and spoiled, which more than once leads to problems and even criminal liability. At another drinking party, Bolat rapes a local school graduate. The father wanted to hush up the matter again, but the girl’s parents had already filed a statement with the police. The only way out of this situation is a wedding, but the life of the family turns into a real nightmare.

An aging employee constantly deceives everyone around him: clients, his boss, his wife, and his children. But at some point, it becomes too much, and they decide to punish him. A spirit named Aruak starts following his every move, teaching him to speak his native Kazakh language, interfering in all his affairs, constantly commenting on everything, and putting the deceiver into the most awkward situations.

1990’s. Russian circus actor and immigrant edik petrov steals the t-72 tank. accidentally, edik kidnaps nartai – the tank’s driver. while edik left his “no future” country on purpose, nartai was brought to germany against his will.

Provincial guy Yerlan is a 3rd—year student of one of the Almaty universities. He came to the city hoping to succeed in the future. However, the environment of the golden youth, where he got, turned out to be difficult. It has its own laws, its own rules, and in order to preserve its moral principles, many things will have to be relived and experienced.

Darkhan was once a shining star on the music scene. However, years have passed, and now his life seems calm and steady. He is now a successful radio show host, enjoying his bachelor lifestyle without any unnecessary worries. Everything changes when a woman with a young child bursts into his world, claiming that she is his daughter and that her son is his grandson.

The adventures of two old men who hitchhiked to their grandson in Europe. The young man dreamed that his grandfather and grandmother would attend his graduation. As luck would have it, the doctors forbade him to fly on a plane, but this did not stop him.

Tolesh is romantic. He loves music, nature, and generally loves life. However, none of his entourage did not understand him. He decided to realize his dream - to get an autograph from the famous Moscow DJ. However, to find in a big city, even a famous musician is not easy at all .

A young woman lives in a big weird and empty city. There is no other humans, no noise from the streets and no sounds of nature. The only one who shares her loneliness is her little daughter. They do everything together, draw, play and read fairy tales every night. But their perfect world drastically changes when they notice someone else’s presence.

Three reckless Kazakhstani men on a trip to America experience an emergency landing in Nigeria, which sets off series of misadventures that test their life ideals, leading to profound personal lessons.

The film is about the new adventures of a young policeman Artyom Kuznetsov. This time, he and his colleagues will have to prevent the bandit Olympiad "Grabiliada", which will bring together representatives of all criminal capitals of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

This documentary tells via the testimonies of people who knew him (like Simone Moro, his companion during his last ascent), the life, the mountaineering exploits and the very tolerant character of Anatoli Boukreev. This famous mountaineer has made more than twenty-one ascents on mountains of 8,000 m altitude, without using supplemental oxygen, and has reached the summit of Everest four times. In 1996 he saved the lives of many climbers in a group led by Scott Fischer during their attempt on Everest. The documentary is based on footage shot during his tragic last ascent of Annapurna in Nepal in 1997.

The family of a wealthy businessman is forced to flee the city to a village, where an unusual life and unexpected adventures await them.

The president Nursultan Nazarbayev announces the transfer of the capital from Almaty to Akmola. Task is almost impossible: to transfer the capital from Alatau highland to the boundless steppes of Saryarka in a short time.

For her job as an influencer, she wears orange and a broad smile. The “Happiness” brand is her doctrine, but her home is a dark place where brute force has ruled for years. This film shows us what it costs to escape the trap of misogyny.

After studying abroad, the willful and independent Dinara plans to marry the Frenchman Jules. Parents don't like her choice, so the heroine gives money to the cab driver Darkhan, who has to pretend to be her boyfriend with a horrible temper. In this way, mom and dad might change their opinion about the french guy.

The scandalous process against Diana, accused of murdering her husband, showcases the personal lives of five women: judge, prosecutor, attorney, defendant, and sister of the deceased. Each of them hides their own wounds and secrets associated with domestic violence. The emerging facts and shocking confessions in the courtroom make them rethink their own lives.

The film focuses on the evacuation of people from the regions of the USSR at risk of Nazi occupation to the eastern parts of the country. At the time Kazakhstan received around 1.5 million people and it is still the home for many of them. Two protagonists – Natalia and her daughter Galya – move east with the rest of the evacuees. In the chaos at one of the railway stations, Natalia loses sight of her daughter and goes to look for her in Almaty, which is overcrowded with evacuees.

A story about two friends-pilots who despite of having a bit of trouble with luck don't give up on hope & optimism.

A cynical surgeon, Sagat, who values money above all else, refuses to perform an urgent operation on a destitute patient. After that, his life speeds up: days pass like years, and everything starts to change for the worse.

In the post-war devastation, a little boy, the son of a former enemy of the people, is desperately trying to survive after a severe spinal injury. Self-belief, love of life and music work wonders.

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The Baitemir family enjoys a rich life, which is marred by only one fact: Adilet and his wife Leyla cannot have a child. Moldir learns that there is a healer in Thailand who will definitely help them. The family goes to Thailand, where they again encounter troubles.

Galya, an alcoholic procuress, has lost rights to her daughter, Zoya, who is to be put in an orphanage. Galya decides to kidnap Zoya, and, with her autistic boyfriend, Stasik, heads to Kazakhstan to find Zoya's biological father.

Twenty-year-old vagabond Damir returns to Alma-Ata to restore his documents and start a normal life. In the meantime, he chooses a free apartment in the very center of the city - the roof of a multi-story building. It soon turns out that a teenager with autism, Kostik, who runs away from an apartment in the building and calls himself "Agent Koklinch", also considers the roof his own. While they fight for territory, Kostik regains his lost speech, and his family clings to Damir as if he were a miracle worker. But Damir has enough of his own problems, but everything changes with the appearance of Sofia, a student of Kostik's mother. In pursuit of the girl's heart, Damir throws himself into an adventure that makes him reconsider his ideas about normality.

The film is based on the complex intersections of human destinies during the Patriotic War. The family of the headmaster of the school, Turlyzhan Zhanakov, with their participation and care for disadvantaged people, show the high moral values inherent in Kazakhs. The house by the salt lake became a home for immigrants and evacuees and became a kind of Noah's Ark for the post-war future.

The film is based on tragic events that took place ten years ago in the city of Taraz. The action begins one day before the tragedy that occurred on 12 November 2011, when police captain Gaziz Baytasov sacrificed his own life to stop a suicide bomber and save the lives of dozens of civilians who found themselves at the epicentre of the events.

The first big concert in several years.

Marat works as a personal driver in Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan. When he hits a Mercedes, the nightmare begins. The loan he accepts to pay for the damages puts him at the mercy of a Mafia boss.

The example of a Mars rover overcoming difficulties on the red planet inspires a boy confined to a wheelchair.

The film takes place in the desolate Kazakh steppe, on the grounds of a former nuclear testing site, where two ecologists conduct research to identify radioactive areas unfit for habitation. Nearby, an eyewitness to the nuclear tests writes down his personal memories, while his son struggles to save his sick daughter. Through the intimate story of three generations of one family, the film reflects on humanity's collective history and the dire situation facing our future. The steppe serves as a metaphor for our planet, now perilously close to becoming a vast nuclear wasteland.

Karasai's parent Altynai prepares his son for subsequent participation in battles from an early age, teaching the boy various martial arts and skills. The boy willingly listens to his father's recommendations, and already in childhood he confidently uses a whip and a sword. When Karasai turns into an adult youth, a period of famine sets in, from which the relatives of the young man suffer. The guy leads the herds of his fellow tribesmen to fertile arable land, and soon aggressive Dzungars attack the lands of his people.

The Great Kazakh Steppe, XVII century. Times when myths often turned out to be true. A girl named Inkar is forced to flee after an unsuccessful magical ritual. Now the evil spirits wants to possess Inkar's body and her hereditary gift. On the way she meets two fugitive brothers, with the help of whom she hopes to cross the Great Sea. But will the heroes survive this road?

A young girl Almagul is studying to be a cinematographer and goes to the front line to find her lover on the battlefield.

On December 31, 1979, five students come to a sanatorium lost in the Karelian forests to prepare for the New Year's performance. They are led by Associate Professor and the rector's daughter Mymra. Athlete Pasha is going to propose to his girlfriend Katya, but the Associate Professor, who is in love, kidnaps her. Mymra, who has long been jealous of the Associate Professor for young Katerina, arranges a romantic seduction for the Associate Professor. In the midst of a disco party by the pool, the local stoker Vitya intervenes in the fun of the students, an expelled student of the history department who considers himself the descendants of Karelian shamans. He performs a bloody rite, but is mistaken in choosing a victim.

When modest history teacher Daniyar unexpectedly finds himself in a world of people profiting from other people's problems, his path leads him far across the ocean—and straight to his own doubts. Amidst a foreign land and new rules, he realizes: sometimes it's more important than bringing someone home, but to understand where your true home is. This is a story about choice, responsibility, and how true strength lies in being true to your roots and yourself.

Timur is a kind-hearted courier who is always ready to help others, even at his own expense. One day, after defending a respected judge from a group of thugs, he receives an unusual offer—to become the driver for the judge’s daughter, Sabina. However, he soon realizes that his real job is to be her bodyguard, as a powerful enemy of the family is willing to do anything to take her away. When Sabina is kidnapped, Timur must cast aside his fears and become a hero to save her and uncover why she is so important to the criminals.

Alma-Ata, 1987. The protagonist of the film is 16-year-old Arsen, who moves from the suburbs to the city center and goes to a new school. At the new school, he makes friends with classmates who are active participants in the so-called "District Movements". Along with this, Arsen faces street, teenage hierarchy and violence. And before him there is a choice, to become like everyone else or to remain true to himself.

Desperate husband cheats on wife after many years of childless marriage and accidentally knocks up the lover lady.

Pyshka, a charming young woman, is passionate about fashion and delicious cuisine. Her designs get regularly selected, yet go uncredited, by the fashion house designer she’s working for. Everything changes when Pyshka receives a mysterious gift from her grandmother. A gift that transforms Pyshka, and lets her find true love—for herself.

Confident in her style and way of being, a young trans girl Zhenya moves through the world figuring out life and love. A story about youth, friendship, community and embracing life as it comes.