Beshkempir: The Adopted Son

Beshkempir

Kyrgyzstan, France

1998

81 Min

Color, Black and White

1.85:1

Kyrgyz

Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
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PROD Čedomir Kolar, Marc Bashet, Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Irizbaj Alybayev

SCR Aktan Abdykalykov, Avtandil Adikulov, Marat Sarulu

CAST Mirlan Abdykalykov, Albina Imasheva, Adir Abilkassimov, Mirlan Cinkozoev, Bakit Dzhylkychiev, Talai Mederov

SOUND Bakyt Niyaraliyev, Gaukhar Sidikova

Locarno (International Competition): Silver Leopard, Don Quixote Award, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention, BAFICI (Competition), Sundance (World Cinema)

Synopsis

The people of Kyrgyzstan have an ancient tradition: the parents of a large family offer a baby to a childless couple. As a ritual, five old women pass the baby over their bent knees and name it “Beshkempir” (which means “five old women”). Azate lives a happy childhood in his small village. One day, he learns he is an adopted son and his life is turned upside down. Uncertain about his identity, he is alienated by this loss and unhappiness from his family and friends and the girl he is so crazy about.

Director

Aktan Abdykalykov

Aktan Abdykalykov was born in 1957 in the village of Kountouou in the region of Sakoulou in Kirghizstan. He worked as an art director on the feature “Où est ta maison l’escargot” (1991-1992) (114 mn) (Studio Kepetchek), which won the Jury Prize at the International Film Festival of Achkhabad (Turkmenistan) and was selected by the XVIIIth International Film Festival in Moscow (Russia). He was also the art director on short films such as “Beket” (1995) and “Beck-Terek”, which were selected at the Film Festival of Augsburg, the World Conference of Social Television Programmes in Guadalajara, the 10th Pärnu Film Festival (Estonia) and the Hamburg Film Festival. He directed many short films and video clips and the film “La Balançoire” (1991-1992), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland). “Le Fils Adoptif” gained him international recognition. “The Monkey” is his second feature film. —diplomatie.gouv.fr

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Arsaib

2Oct12

"Abdykalykov's sparing use of color—clearly a matter of aesthetic rather than financial reasons—reinvents our perception of color as well as of black-and-white in movies: every shift between these registers is experienced as an epiphany, a bursting re-creation of the world. When Abdykalykov was asked what motivated this eccentric construction, he replied that it was inspired by the way rugs in Kyrgyzstan are woven and patched together. A lateral camera movement over one of these gorgeous rugs in color is the film's first image, and everything that follows conforms to this beautifully abstract pattern, much the way a musical theme would be developed."—Jonathan Rosenbaum

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Fernando García

15Jan12

Una verdadera joya! Abdykalykov es un descubrimiento muy afortunado... mi siguiente pelicula en Mubi tendra que ser The Monkey definitivamente...

pamelaVITALE

19Jan10

Wonderful film full of beautiful simplicity and texture...I wish life were still this simple. There is nothing more powerful then reality, from a culture I know so little about too. Wow I highly recommend.

Ryan Conrath

29Aug09

More people on this site should watch this gift of a film. Never didactic and always humble and meditative, Abdikalykov's poetic language reaches a level of sophistication that, in my opinion, rivals that of Tarkovsky or Bresson. This is a truly beautiful work from a filmmaker who i just have to find out more about now.