Feature film, 105 min
Director and Scriptwriter – Darezhan Omirbayev
Kazakhfilm, East Wind Production
Short Synopsis:
Didar is a poet chained to a day job in a small newspaper. In the age of mass consumption, very few care about poetry. Reflecting on a rebellious 19th century figure executed by the authorities he feels deeply shaken, realizing how difficult and fragile the life of a poet always has been. When he is invited to give a reading in a small town, Didar finds himself torn between pain and joy, accomplishments and failures.
Few years ago, I was invited to show some of my photographies in Lugano, Switzerland.
There, a strange feeling of solitude deeply infused in me, despite the presence of some curious people. I guess this violent confrontation between a fragile and idealistic world and reality can be experienced by many artists. From this stem I felt a story could grow, about the modern-day artist confronted with an eternal problem.
According to a Kazakh saying, “Oner aldy, kyzyl til”, “Of all arts, the most important is the art of words”.
It always was one of the guiding principles of our culture, until being so dramatically altered.
Where does a poet get the strength to persevere, today?
How can he preserve a sensitive soul?
What is left to hope for?
Poetry inhabits higher aspirations, purity, idealism, faith.
It always was and always will be.
That is at least what I want to believe.
Darezhan Omirbayev
Festivals and screenings:
Tokyo IFF – Best Director Award, Berlinale IFF Forum, Hong Kong IFF, Olhar de Cinema – Curitiba IFF – Outros Olhares Best Film, Viennale, LEFFEST – Best Film, Belgrade IFF, Trieste IFF
Starring: Yerdos Kanayev, Gulmira Khasanova, Klara Kabylgazina
Director, script writer – Darezhan Omirbayev
DOP – Boris Troshev
Editing – Gulyaim Kozhamberdieva
Sound – Alexander Vlaznev
Costumes – Aliya Imasheva
Make up – Aida Shaizada
1st AD – Darkhan Kozhakhan
Executive Producer – Olzhas Tartayev
Producers – Yuliya Kim, Yerzhan Akhmet
