Aizhan Kassymbek‘s Kazakh movie “Madina,” world premiering on the Tokyo Worldwide Movie Competition‘s Asian Future strand, goals to shatter patriarchy each on and off display.
On display, the movie is predicated on the true life story of Kassymbek’s pal Madina Akylbek, who additionally performs the lead position. Set within the harsh Kazakhstan winter, the movie follows single mom, dancer and breadwinner Madina, who struggles to care for her outdated grandmother, a withdrawn youthful brother and a two-year-old daughter. As she fights for alimony and battles the calls for of a rich admirer, her brother shares a harsh surprising revelation about his childhood. Madina discovers inside her a resilience and braveness to inform the reality.
“My intent in making a movie on Madina’s story was to share the vulnerability and insecurity she as a girl internalizes. How concern makes it tough for her to specific and share issues,” Kassymbek informed Selection. “I’ve additional layered the story with themes of dysfunction and sexual violence perpetrated towards minors. No matter age, gender, and social standing, anybody can change into a sufferer of sexual abuse. Whereas scripting, I didn’t think about how deep have been the injuries I used to be attempting to open.”
Akylbek added: “Initially, I used to be apprehensive, as the injuries have been nonetheless recent. My daughter was solely two years outdated, and I used to be trying to ascertain contact together with her father to safe little one assist. My relationship with my household was strained, and I had little expertise as an actress.”
“Enjoying the character of Madina felt cathartic. It instigated therapeutic for me, permitting me to confront my ache and set it free,” Akylbek mentioned. “Previous to this challenge, I had by no means labored with an writer or director. The pre-production part was intensive and meticulous, and I invested quite a lot of effort into preparation. Aizhan insisted that I take away all make-up, work together with my daughter and relive every scene and painful second from my place of lived experiences.”
Behind the digicam, Kassymbek shot the movie with an all-woman crew, as she did together with her debut function “Hearth” (2021), which premiered at Busan. “I’m bored with seeing how a Kazakh girl is represented in cinema. Disconnected from actuality, the everlasting picture of a sort mom and a submissive daughter-in-law, the lady is extra like an attractive prop. To face apart and be an observer meant the identical as holding silent — identical to sexual victims’ relations. On my journey as a writer-director, I met very younger women and girls who share my mission and imaginative and prescient. To inform our tales in probably the most genuine approach we joined forces and made two options, being the primary all-female crew to work collectively in Kazakhstan. We face sexism each day, attempting to show our skill to make movies and compete with males within the area,” Kassymbek mentioned.
“Nonetheless, it’s necessary to notice that this doesn’t imply I completely collaborate with girls. We have now extremely gifted male colleagues who’re greater than keen to help us with out preconceived notions,” Kassymbek added.
“Madina” is produced by Kassymbek and co-produced by Abid Aziz Service provider for Sanat Initiative (2020 SXSW title “I’ll Meet You There”). “Aizhan’s succinct pitch ‘a movie portraying the lifetime of a single mom trapped in monotony, who uncovers a household secret that shatters her existence,’ immediately captivated me and piqued my curiosity within the challenge. Following only one Zoom assembly, I used to be sure that I wished to be a part of this endeavor. Aizhan’s clear imaginative and prescient and unwavering willpower have been so evident that it took me solely a day to make the choice to wholeheartedly assist her and the challenge,” Service provider informed Selection.
Service provider confirmed a tough reduce of the movie to Apoorva Bakshi, producer of Worldwide Emmy winner “Delhi Crime,” with whom he was collaborating on one other challenge and he or she boarded “Madina” as an govt producer, as a part of her Awedacious Originals slate.
“Freshly story-engineered, the story of ‘Madina’ is strikingly empowering. Our future plans for the movie embrace a considerable competition presence, worldwide gross sales and distribution and an awards marketing campaign aimed toward celebrating the movie’s excellence and contribution to the world of cinema,” Bakshi informed Selection. “Aizhan’s journey from scripting to put up, braving the risky political local weather in Kazakhstan has been nothing wanting extraordinary, which makes this a primary from the area.”
