Kyrgyz Cinema at the Bishkek Film Festival

Any film festival aims above all at the promotion and showcasing of its national cinema. Personally, I appreciated how the 3rd International Bishkek Film Festival represented Kyrgyz cinema in its full spectrum. Among 36 feature films shown at the festival, 16 were Kyrgyz; there was one film in the international competition, three in the Central Asian competition, and nine in the Kyrgyz-Box section, as well as three films by Tolomush Okeyev in his retrospective.

Surprisingly, in a small country with a population of 7.3 million, around 50 feature films are produced annually. One could speak of a boom in Kyrgyz cinema. In my view, three key factors contributed to this rise. First, the “Strategy 10+” project, written by Kyrgyz filmmakers in 2005, when only 2–3 films were made per year. The strategy was actively implemented over the next ten years, engaging young people in cinema through short-term training courses. Today, that very generation—now nearing forty—is actively working in the industry. Second, an established film distribution system has been established, where producers collaborate with distributors. In Kyrgyzstan, there is significant audience interest in national films, and releases are carefully coordinated: one Kyrgyz film premieres per week, to avoid internal competition. And third, state support for cinema amounts to 1% of the country’s GDP. This achievement was also secured by filmmakers. Funding covers not only film production but also the Bishkek International Film Festival and other major events

Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch the commercial film program titled Kyrgyz-Box, since the FIPRESCI jury watched the Central Asian competition. However, the film titles speak for themselves: Kyrgyzstan, I Love You; Kyrgyz on Mars; Wrestler; Red Dress; My Love, to name but a few. Nine films were made in the genres of melodrama, adventure, comedy, and horror. Interestingly, all three competitions had equal prizes, and the total prize fund amounted to $50,000.

In the international competition, the Kyrgyz film The Deal at the Border (Kachkyn) by director Dastan Zhapar uulu received the award for Best Cinematography. The film, which has already been recognized internationally, has participated in many festivals around the world. It deals with labour slavery, drug trafficking and, above all, human dignity: the protagonist decides, against all odds, to return the body of a deceased, nearly unknown girl to her family in a mountain village. The cinematography by Bolsunbek Taalaybek is mesmerizing, not just showcasing the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, but offering a meditative look into the protagonist’s soul.

Three Kyrgyz films were shown in the Central Asian competition: Burning (Ot) by Radik Eshimov, Mercy (Ayachy) by Sapar Saynazarov, and Mergen by Chingiz Narynov. The first two can also be considered commercial, though with elements of creative exploration. Mercy tells the story of a girl deceived and dishonoured by a “golden youth” playboy, who fears telling her boyfriend and instead rejects his love. But he doesn’t give up, and they take on a revenge, like a modern Bonnie and Clyde. In Burning, there is a reference to world cinema: the same story of a girl’s suicide (she dies in a kitchen explosion) is told three times from different viewpoints of local shoppers in a convenience store—a Kyrgyz version of Rashomon. But unlike Kurosawa’s philosophical focus on the elusiveness of truth, here it serves more as a narrative device. In the first version, the mother-in-law is to blame; in the second, the woman herself, said to be possessed, is at fault; and in the third, it is the abusive husband. The roles were well-acted, and the Best Screenplay prize went to Dastan Madalbakov and Aizada Bekbalaeva for Burning, deservedly so.

The Grand Prix of the Central Asian competition and the FIPRESCI prize went to the Kyrgyz film Mergen by Chingiz Narynov. It was undoubtedly the discovery of the festival. The film had its world premiere here and sparked most discussion. A strange, slightly mystical story about the disappearance of a six-year-old girl in a small town, and how the crime connects to a nouveau riche who wants to open a gold mine. The filmmakers astonishingly blend Kyrgyz mythology with a modern neo-noir style. The story unfolds through flashbacks and flashforwards, reflecting a contemporary cinematic language.

The FIPRESCI jury’s citation: “Masterfully combining cultural archetypes and modern cinematic language, this story unfolds through the prism of an unconventional hero enriched by a memorable variety of secondary characters balancing between real and mystical dimensions.”

One cannot speak about Kyrgyz cinema without mentioning the retrospective of outstanding director Tolomush Okeyev (1935–2001). Only three films from his rich legacy were shown: The Sky of Our Childhood (1966), Ulan (1977), and The Descendant of the Snow Leopard (1984). All were made during the Soviet era, but they demonstrate how the masters of the “Kyrgyz Miracle” resisted Soviet ideology and spoke about national values.

Finally, the festival presented the book New Cinema in Kyrgyzstan, which analyses the country’s cinema from 2018–2024. It is based on a special issue of the journal KinoKultura, co-ordinated by UK film scholar Birgit Beumers and edited by Kyrgyz film experts Sultan Usuvaliyev and Gulbara Tolomusheva. The book includes articles, reviews, and interviews.

Overall, the film program and the book together provide a broad vision of where Kyrgyz cinema is headed, who its key players are, and how it differs from other national cinemas. In this sense, I believe the mission of the 3rd International Bishkek Film Festival has been accomplished brilliantly.

Gulnara Abikeyeva
Edited by Birgit Beumers
©FIPRESCI 2025