The Light Thief

Svet-Ake

Germany, France, Netherlands, Kyrgyzstan

2010

80 Min

Color

Kyrgyz

Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
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SCR Aktan Abdykalykov, Talip Ibraimov

CAST Aktan Abdykalykov, Taalaikan Abazova, Askat Sulaimanov, Asan Amanov, Stanbek Toichubaev

Cannes (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs), Locarno (Piazza Grande), Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema), London (World Cinema), São Paulo (International Perspective), Göteborg (Festivalfavoriter), San Francisco (World Cinema)

Synopsis

The main hero of the film is an electrician with a far greater effect on the people around him than his job defines. He is the last link in a huge energetic system and he becomes the binding bridge between the geopolitical problems of post-soviet space and the common people.

The economic devastation of the country had an enormous impact on the industrial workers and yet despite the upheaval, these people did not seize to love and suffer, to have and be friends and to enjoy their lives… In particular our resilient electrician, who possesses a wonderful and open heart. He not only brings electric light (which is often out) to the lives of the inhabitants of this small city, but he also spreads the light of love, loyalty, life and mainly laughter. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

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