Taalaibek Kulmendeev

Home for Sale

Loan sharks harass Damir and his family, even to the point of writing “home for sale” on the exterior of their house. Damir desperately tries to borrow money from his relatives, friends, and anyone else he knows; Cholpon also struggles to prevent the worst from happening.

Under Heaven

Under Heaven, written and directed by Dalmira Tilepbergen, is a modern day re-working of the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, set in a remote mountain village in Central Asia. Two brothers, rebellious Kerim and conscientious Aman, live with their mother and work at the family stonemason business. Their father has been forced to work away in Russia in order to pay off Kerim's debts, incurred as a result of his eldest son's drug dealing activities. The brothers both fall for a local village girl, Saltanat, which ultimately leads to a bitter dispute and unforeseen and tragic consequences...

Princess Nazik

A small village is situated on the picturesque shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Nazik, a 7 year old girl, lives there with her mother Rumiya, a young and bold beauty. Rumiya works at a trout farm. After the collapse of the Soviet empire everyone struggles to survive in this remote mountainous region, where the “world financial crisis” means little to the locals. Only Nazik continues to live in her own make-believe world of fairy-tale, which is reflected in her drawings.