Section: Feature Film Competition

KACHKYN

DEAL AT THE BORDER

Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi
KG, 2024, 90 Min

Thriller set in a breathtaking landscape: Aza and Samat, two smugglers plying secret routes in the mountains of Central Asia, come across a young woman who has escaped from slavery. Aza decides to rescue her at all costs, even if his own life and his entire “business” are threatened. An intense crime drama about the clash of gangster realities with a sense of duty and conscience.

#feature #political #landscape

Performance

2024-11-07 | 16:30
Weltspiegel Großer Saal
2024-11-08 | 21:30
Weltspiegel Saal 2

DEAL AT THE BORDER is also a very personal statement on human trafficking by Kyrgyz filmmaker Dastan Zhapar. When he was 14, his brother disappeared. Later, the family found out he had been taken into slavery. However, the movie is far from being a documentary. The state border, one of the favorite settings for crime thrillers, is transformed into an almost mythological space where ancient customs and rituals honoring human beings collide with realities, in which the life of a single human being is not worth a penny. This conflict between eternity and the momentary is emphasized by the stunning landscapes. Against the backdrop of majestic mountains and the vast turquoise waters of Lake Issyk-Kul, the characters at times look like tiny grains of sand lost in these vast expanses. The movie deliberately avoids all genre clichés. There are no bloody shootouts, and the lone hero looks less like a member of a drug gang and more like a cowboy from Westerns who needs to cross the frontier to find himself again.

Text: Ksenia Reutova

07.11.2024 | 16:30 | Weltspiegel Großer Saal (original version with English and German subtitles)

08.11.2024 | 21:30 | Weltspiegel Saal 2 (original version with English and German subtitles)

 

Drehbuch
Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi/ Aktan Ryskeldiev
Kamera
Bolsunbek Taalaibek uulu
Ton
Kalybek Sherniyazov
Schnitt
Bakyt Mukul/Nazgul Omurzhanova
Musik
Balasagyn Musaev
Darsteller
Abylai Marat/Meerim Atantaeva/Omurbek Izrailov/Begaiym Asanakunova
Produzent
Suium Sulaimanova
Produktion
Creative Center
Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi

Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi - Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi stands as a leading young filmmaker in Kyrgyzstan, renowned for directing pivotal films like "Atanyn Kereezi" (A Father's Will) (2016) and "Akyrky Koch" (The Road to Eden) (2020). His acclaim includes the esteemed Golden Zenith at the Montreal World Film Festival for his debut work. His second film “Road to Eden” premiered at Tallinn IFF and received multiple awards worldwide. As a member of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy (APSA) and affiliations with the Union of Filmmakers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Confederation of Unions of Filmmakers of the CIS and Baltic countries, he continues to shape the cinematic landscape with his impactful storytelling and directorial finesse.