Discoveries from Kazakhstan World Cinema

Life in Karatas Village runs along an untroubled path, until its patriarchal way of life is challenged by Ulbolsyn, a woman whose coldblooded heart and blazing temperament are not afraid of setting everything on fire.

The 30-year-old Iskander is a food-photographer who, due to his own indecision, experiences a crisis both in his work and in his sexual relation with his colleague and beloved Laura. He wants to change his situation by completing a promising project for a popular fast food chain. Because of a «red level of terrorist threat» in the city, while he’s working he ends up locked in a fast food with a random customer, Anat. The two have sex, then Iskander backs out, but Anat finds a way to get satisfaction. She teaches him not to be afraid of mistakes. Iskander gains self-confidence and shows his courage in his job and in sex with Laura, who finally gives him her respect and love.

A story about the blows inflicted on Kazakhstan by soviet government.

«18 Kilohertz» refers to a sound frequency that adults cannot hear. The film focuses on the realities which faced teenagers in Kazakhstan in the late 90s, at the time of the drug boom in Almaty. It tackles one side of the conflict between the child and his parents leading to his alienation and flight from home. What makes the teenager prefer romantic asphalt streets to the cozy parental home?

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.

Sara, a struggling artist, discovers a unique pencil that can solve all her problems. But her dreams turn into a nightmare when a malevolent demonic creature from Kazakh legends gets unleashed.

A Kazakh villager has to take care of his pregnant sister-in-law after his brother is thrown in jail.

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.

Year 2009. A small town on the shores of Issyk-Kul. Aktan, a schoolboy who dreams of joining the ranks of the National Security Committee, is faced with the injustice of the justice system. A local deputy is ready to do anything to protect his son Alan. Having failed to achieve justice under the law, Aktan and his childhood friend Kuba seize the courthouse with weapons in their hands.

Asel is an ambitious employee of the special services. She gives herself completely to work, leaving her personal life somewhere in the background. The girl gets a new very difficult case. Information is coming that an illegal sale of synthetic drugs is to take place in Almaty. Asel's task: using her attractiveness, establish contact with a member of the organized criminal group and find out from him who the buyer is. Information is received that one of the gang members should come to a meeting in a cafe. However, she takes an ordinary guy Erlan for a bandit, who is very unlucky in life, especially in relationships with girls. Asel's interest is very flattering to him. Without thinking twice, Yerlan and his brother steal the beauty and take her to the village. Realizing that everyone perceives her as Kelin, she continues the operation. A city girl who saw cows only on TV is now forced to farm and monitor the suspicious family of Erlan, who is preparing for the wedding…

The main character Kadyr decides to change his life and goes in search of his happiness. A lot of adventures await him on his way...

Coming soon

To clear himself of charges of embezzling a large sum of state funds, Zhomart travels to Thailand in search of the former director of a construction company. Finding his ex-boss is no easy task, and along the way, Zhomart faces many challenges — from venomous insects to local pirates.

He is a student, who believes in a true love. He writes short stories. One day he accidentally meets her. She is beautiful, but unpredictable. Not the type he has always dreamed of. She forces into his life, changing everything he was used to, and brings new adventures, which are sometimes painful for him. After sometime, he fells in love with her, but... one day, she disappears from his life, changing his life forever...

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.

The first big concert in several years.

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.

A mother can't stand her son, a sister can't stand her brother, a woman in love can't stand her lover... Love communication brings them neither joy nor liberation, giving them only some oblivion. All this is determined by the atmosphere of fear...

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 hardships encountered by Aisha, a young Kazakh singer, whose dream is to sing in Paris.

The film is based on the events of 1992 that took place in Southern Kazakhstan, when prisoners who escaped during the transfer to Russia took a regular bus with passengers hostage. The best forces of Kazakhstan's national security and law enforcement were dispatched to rescue them.

An aged man is obsessed with the idea of buying a new Lexus. The whole house is filled with pictures of the car. He is counting the days when he will take her home. But not everyone shares his joy. His wife is not happy with his obsession. He literally moves to live in a car. His wife calls the children to help with their father, but unsuccessfully. At some point, his wife decides to take revenge on him and sells the house. With the proceeds, she buys a Lexus super car and plans to go on a vacation. He is shocked. She invites him with her and he accepts the invitation. He passes his car keys to his son and they drive away. Son is in his father's car and absolutely obsessed as his father was. The story repeats.

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.

In the film, the theme of children and the elderly, forced to adapt to the new conditions of the perestroika period, sounds shrill. The plot is based on just one day in the life of two teenage brothers and a lonely old woman.

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 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.

Once upon in a time in Taraz, a bunch of friends goes to night club and find themselves in a tricky situation after conflict with son of local mobster.

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.

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?

Two former law school classmates decide to go into tenders and public procurement, but for a number of reasons they begin to supply goods in a not entirely legal way.

After the end of World War II, young Kazakh soldier saves an old German civilian from death. The old man gives him a bag with the most valuable thing that he has - a portable projector and some films. 30 years later the former soldier becomes a legendary figure. He travels to small distant villages and pastures to show films. But professional cinema theaters come to big and small cities replacing the soldier who moves to more remote villages.

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

Raushan Kanatovna has worked hard for many years to reach the position of CEO of a pharmaceutical company. However, her newly-made daughter-in-law named Karlygash becomes the head. Will Kelin and Ye not be able to maintain harmony in the family and at work?

A boy is murdered in Kazakh village. Detective Bekzat wants to wrap up the inquiries quickly: after all, the perpetrator has already been found by local police officers. But when a journalist arrives from the city, everything falls to pieces. For the first time in his career, Bekzat must conduct a real investigation according to procedure.

A large number of drugs enter Kazakhstan from Afghanistan. To stop this, a special group must be created. The Ministry decides to send intelligence officer Oraz and two of his friends there, who participated in the war in Afghanistan and know the country well. The three veterans are joined by a young scout who despises the "old men". They will have to solve the drug problem, despite the conflict between two generations.

The young rich kid, Chyna, got carried away with his glamorous lifestyle and decided that he could do anything he wanted. Desperate to set his son straight, his oligarch father takes extreme measures. Together with an eccentric psychologist, he devises a unique project: somewhere in the steppe, they recreate the atmosphere of a 19th-century Kazakh village. Chyna ends up in this village, believing he has traveled back in time.

Three friends open a camp for kids born in the city who do not know the traditions and customs of their ancestors.

This material was written in 2024 during the "Time of White Children" Tour. Thanks to everyone who helped with the tour and came to the concerts. Filmed in Almaty on April 19, 2025.

When Kanat hits the bottom, still living with his mother at 40 passed, stuck mid level in his bank job, fantasizing from afar on girls, the unexpected encounter with his evil half, longtime friend Daniyar makes him take a moral u turn and his life takes a plunge in the dark.

Gaukhar has five overprotective brothers who don't let her marry anyone so she deals with the toughest decision in her life: family (brothers) or marriage?

Shokan, an unemployed bachelor, lives in a communal apartment with his mother, sister and brother. He wants to fulfill his father's dream of buying a house for the whole family, but he can't save up enough money. Having learned that a construction company is donating apartments to people with disabilities, Shokan pretends to be blind - and finds himself in a whirlpool of criminal showdowns and troubles.

Two completely different families are forced to live under the same roof. It wasn't easy. Trying to find a common language, matchmakers get into funny and ridiculous situations all the time, but as a result they become a real family.

Egemen, who makes a living by stealing scrap metal, has a secret lover, Meyerim. She was kidnapped, married, and then divorced with her daughter, so Egemen is unable to proudly introduce Meyerim to his family.

"Sisitai" is an exciting adventure of a teenage girl Sisitai, who is fond of singing. However, her father is categorically against this kind of hobby. By chance, fate introduces Sisitai to the producer. Now nothing will stop the heroine: she intends to prove that she was born for music.

A mysterious monk with mystical powers issues a man a license to kill by imbuing him with the fighting skills necessary to avenge his brother’s death.

Fifteen years have passed since graduation, and the main characters, former classmates, all gather together again. At the reunion, the seniors reminisce about funny incidents from their wild youth. The viewers join them on a fascinating journey back in time, situations with which almost everyone is familiar.

Amidst the plains of the Kazakhstan steppes lives a mother and Eldon, the youngest of her five grown-up children. Whilst his four siblings have all married and left home, he and his mother live a simple, traditional existence. However when Eldon announces he has met the love of his life, his mother embarks on a tour of her four other children's homes in search of money for the wedding. As we follow the lovable but demanding mum through the four very different lives, we get a heartwarming family comedy that brilliantly contrasts modern-day and traditional life in Kazakhstan with humor and insight.

"Ata" is translated from Kazakh as "grandfather". The story of the 80-year-old blind grandfather was filmed in the south of Kazakhstan.

A group of friends went on vacation to the Borovoye resort. Renting a cabin, little did they know about ending up in the middle of criminal conspiracy.

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.

Unconfident Sanjar receives another refusal in the competition of screenwriters. On the way home, he meets a charming girl Aisulu and they have mutual feelings. In an attempt to impress the girl, Sanjar comes up with a story about shooting his film in America. Lovers talk on the phone all the time. Romantic girl Aisulu decides to surprise the young man and goes to the USA. Sanjar is forced to fly on his first flight to America to beg forgiveness from his beloved.

At his father's funeral, the boy meets his uncle, who has been in prison for a long time, an unemployed and drunk man who came to say goodbye to his brother. Soon the boy learns that in fact his father is exactly this fallen man, who at one time left the family to his older brother. The newly-born father expels the boy's mother from the house. Unable to control himself, the child kills the offender.

Mid-80s of the last century. A small town. The boy Aulet, an orphan and a boarding school pupil, by chance becomes the owner of a winning lottery ticket. The discovery instantly changes his life, in which numerous relatives immediately appear who want to "take care of him."

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.

In ordinary life, they are waiters, cooks, and students. And only music turns them into the heroes of the dance floor. Through betrayal and against the law, they face off in a decisive battle for the right to be called the best dance team in the city of N!