Joint film projects with Kazakhstan are still rare in our country, although there is a strong film industry there, and Kazakh films are in demand at festivals around the world. The Russian viewer is often indifferent to any cinematography, with the exception of American and sometimes French. We are constantly talking from the stands about the importance of co-production, but when it comes down to it, continuous problems arise. Recently, a well-known Georgian director tried to find partners in Russia for an interesting international project, but no one showed any interest.
Adilkhan Yerzhanov has already shot the 12th film, and once, having graduated from the Kazakh film institute, he took a course at the film school of Rustam Ibragimbekov in Bely Stolby near Moscow. Today he is one of the most demanded and successful directors, he releases a film every year, or even two, constantly represents Kazakhstan at the main world festivals – in Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam. Several years ago his film “The Plague in the village of Karatas” was shown in the Netherlands. The action in Yerzhanov’s films often takes place in this place, which has become an image of the world and the director’s native country. And now events are happening in Karatas, in many respects similar to those that are happening now in Kazakhstan.
According to the plot, the school in the village was captured by some people. The children were taken hostage, but no demands were made. Local police are trying to call for reinforcements from the city. But due to the blizzard, there were communication problems. School teacher Tazshi, realizing that he cannot count on help, gathers an assault group from parents whose children have become hostages. During the night they need to decide to attack and, accordingly, take responsibility for such a radical step.
“The action of Sturm takes place in a fictional village,” says Adilkhan Yerzhanov about his painting. “This is the most conditional space, not tied to anything. “Storm” should not be associated with any real events. This is a psychological, not a journalistic movie. This is also not a standard hostage-free action game. It’s not about fighting bandits, but about fighting yourself. “Storming” can be viewed in an existential vein: a person must make a choice, and the main struggle takes place inside, introspectively. ”
The film’s producers include Russian director Boris Khlebnikov. He was the chairman of the jury of the Yakutsk International Film Festival, where Adilkhan’s previous film, “Fight of Atbay”, took part. After that, Kazakh producers, who work with Yerzhanov, offered Khlebnikov’s studio the script for “Storm” and came up with a proposal for cooperation.
“I really enjoyed working with Alexandra Revenko, who played the main and only female role,” says Adilkhan Yerzhanov. – It has absolute naturalness, simplicity. It helped a lot. And I am glad that the film was included in the program of the Rotterdam Festival, one of my favorite festivals – it is both significant and non-academic in nature. There is a lot of avant-garde and experimentation in it. The fact that “Storm” was included in the competition program is very motivating, because the film is kind of a genre, but introspective, aimed at the state of the heroes. And the premiere of the film at the author’s cinema gives Sturm the necessary start. “
The main film studio of the country “Kazakhfilm” also took part in the production of the picture on the part of Kazakhstan, about which erroneous information was passed a day ago about the loss of its “golden film collection” as a result of the riots that engulfed the country. A Kazakh group worked on the project: cameraman Aydar Sharipov, production designer Ermek Utegenov, composer Galymzhan Moldanazar. The main male role was played by 34-year-old Russian actor Azamat Nigmanov. Kazakh by nationality, he was born in Omsk, graduated from the Theater School. B. Shchukin. And I didn’t do it on the first try. He was told to think carefully about who he could play, having an Asian appearance. Following the advice, Azamat worked for some time at the Romen Theater. That is, he was quite suitable for the role of gypsies. Today Azamat acts in many films, and one of the films with his participation “Yellow Cat” by Adilkhan Yerzhanov was nominated by Kazakhstan for the Oscar.
At the recent Tallinn International Film Festival, Adilhan presented his film “Collective Immunity”. And there events take place in the criminal and thoroughly corrupt village of Karatas. Coronavirus restrictions have overtaken this remote place as well. And there are people who make money from misfortune.
In addition to “Collective Reason”, another Kazakh painting “Mukagali” by Bolat Kalymbetov about the Kazakh poet and translator Mukagali Makatayev, who knew Russian literature well, was presented in Estonia. Glory came to him only after his death in 1976. Today he has become a classic of national literature, and large-scale films are being made to mark the 90th anniversary of his birth. Although the idea for the film came about 15 years ago, there was always something that prevented its implementation, including the lack of funds. During his lifetime, Mukagali was a persecuted person, imprisoned, suffocated from her absence. The film tells about the last years of his life, the musty Brezhnev era, about how the hero refuses to glorify communist ideals, which he paid for.
Kazakhstani cinema is sensitive to the demands of the times, and it is quite possible to judge from it what is happening in the country, how people live, and what makes their life happy or unhappy.
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