The Road

Jol

Kazakhstan, France, Japan

2001

85 Min

Color

1.66:1

Kazakh

Subtitled in English

Audio in Kazakh

Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
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PROD Joël Farges, Elise Jalladeau, Gaziz Chaldybaev

SCR Darezhan Omirbaev, Limara Jeksembaeva

CAST Jamshed Usmonov, Saoule Toktibaeva, Alnur Turgambayeva, Magjane Omirbayev, Valeria Gouliaeva, Valeri Skoribov, Moukhamedjane Alpisbaev, Serik Aprimov

SOUND Helena Vlazneva

Cannes (Un Certain Regard), Toronto, Chicago, Mar del Plata

Synopsis

A comical self-study of a filmmaker’s life and work spurred on by contemplation over a love letter from his wife. His dreams and anxieties are seen through his own eyes while on a long and emotional road trip to his native village. Amir remembers not only his desire for the young woman who edited his film but also that of his wife’s accusing look upon surprising them in the editing room…

The filmmaker’s part is played by Tajik director Djamshed Usmonov (To Get to Heaven First You Have to Die).

Director

Darezhan Omirbaev

Omirbaev was born on March 15, 1958 in the village of Uyuk, in the Djambul region of Kazakhstan. In 1980, he received a degree in applied mathematics from the University of Kazakhistan. He went on to work as a professor and programmer, and eventually an editor at Kazakh Film Studios.

In 1987, he finished his studies at VGIK (Institute of Advanced Cinema Studies in Moscow) with a thesis on cinema semiotics based on the theories of Pasolini, Metz, Jakobson and Mitry. For several years, Omirbaev worked as a film theorist and critic for the magazine New Film.

In 1992, he directed his first film Kairat, and afterward Kardiogramma (1995), Killer (1998) and The Road (2001).

Omirbaev is an exceptionally talented technician, but he is much more than just that. He handles the illusions between reality an dream with unsettling and uncanny verve. —asiaticafilmmediale.it