Opening Film of the 14th Kazan Muslim Film Festival: a Thread Leading to Memory
‘This film scored 100% vote for being an opening film of the festival. It is definitely worth of attention and even imitation. The film could be considered as not an ideal one in terms of cinematography as it might not meet certain criteria. However, it is not important, as this work has a unique ability to immerse into a very particular atmosphere’ says the executive director of the festival, Milyausha Aituganova.
The film is dedicated to the life and work of Sayakbay Karalaev, one of the greatest narrators of the Epic of Manas. This epic was inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List as well as to the Guinness Book of Records as the most voluminous epic in the world. The film also reflects an episode of the life of a writer Chingiz Aitmatov, whose 90th anniversary is widely celebrated in Russia and the CIS countries this year. The plot of Sayakbay is built around the meeting of Sayakbay Karalaev with Chingiz Aitmatov and his subsequent memories about the narrator.
It is necessary to mention that the out-of-competition programme of the festival will include a special section devoted to the films inspired by the works of Chingiz Aitmatov, including Spotted Dog Running at the Edge of the Sea (1990), Jamilya (1969), Mankurt (1990), Farewell, Gyulsara! (1968), Mother Earth (1967) and The White Ship (1976).
The world premiere of this film was on 31 August 2017 at the Montreal Film Festival, where it was awarded a prize as the best innovative film. Later, the film won the awards of the New York Film Festival and London Film Festival.
‘This film is quite interesting for us in terms of how it reflects the authentic intangible heritage of Kyrgyz people. Manas is connecting generations, it is a thread leading to the memory of the people. The whole work has a careful attitude to history’ comments Milyausha Aituganova.
29 August 2018
NewsThe press-screening of the opening film of the 14th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, Sayakbay by a Kyrgyz director Ernest Abdyjaparov, was held yesterday at Mir Cinema.
‘This film scored 100% vote for being an opening film of the festival. It is definitely worth of attention and even imitation. The film could be considered as not an ideal one in terms of cinematography as it might not meet certain criteria. However, it is not important, as this work has a unique ability to immerse into a very particular atmosphere’ says the executive director of the festival, Milyausha Aituganova.
The film is dedicated to the life and work of Sayakbay Karalaev, one of the greatest narrators of the Epic of Manas. This epic was inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List as well as to the Guinness Book of Records as the most voluminous epic in the world. The film also reflects an episode of the life of a writer Chingiz Aitmatov, whose 90th anniversary is widely celebrated in Russia and the CIS countries this year. The plot of Sayakbay is built around the meeting of Sayakbay Karalaev with Chingiz Aitmatov and his subsequent memories about the narrator.
It is necessary to mention that the out-of-competition programme of the festival will include a special section devoted to the films inspired by the works of Chingiz Aitmatov, including Spotted Dog Running at the Edge of the Sea (1990), Jamilya (1969), Mankurt (1990), Farewell, Gyulsara! (1968), Mother Earth (1967) and The White Ship (1976).
The world premiere of this film was on 31 August 2017 at the Montreal Film Festival, where it was awarded a prize as the best innovative film. Later, the film won the awards of the New York Film Festival and London Film Festival.
‘This film is quite interesting for us in terms of how it reflects the authentic intangible heritage of Kyrgyz people. Manas is connecting generations, it is a thread leading to the memory of the people. The whole work has a careful attitude to history’ comments Milyausha Aituganova.