Saturday, March 13, 2010

When will Kazakhstan export a good movie?

Nomad co-stars Mark Dacascos, the dude from Iron Chef America.

Kazakhstani movies shown in the United States are hard to come by.  So far, I've only seen three feature length films from the Central Asian republic.  Mongol was overdone.  Gift to Stalin was mediocre.  And Nomad was unwatchable.  The young nation's even younger film industry has plenty of petrodollar funding, but is seriously lacking in plot lines, screenwriting, and independence.  To a certain extent, the movies all seem to be mouthpieces for the Nazarbayev government.  These are the themes I've picked up, Cliffs' Notes style:

  • Our vast steppes are beautiful.
  • We hate our recent Russian conquerors.
  • We despise the Chinese and must remain vigilant of their aggressions.
  • Our vast oil and gas reserves make us strong.
  • In order to succeed, individual Kazakhs must set aside our differences and stick together (as in abandon differing political philosophies and any opposition to the government?).
  • Our Kazakh supreme leader is just and wise, and we are truly blessed to have him guide our nation.
I demand a low-budget, well-made, independent Kazakh film about contemporary, realistic characters.  No more preachy epics please.

In conclusion, this Tupac homage is still the best.

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