Acclaimed Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak has joined Kazakhstan’s Oscar hopeful “Bauryna Salu” as executive producer. The film, directed by Askhat Kuchinchirekov, is Kazakhstan’s submission for the international feature category at the Academy Awards. “Bauryna Salu” follows a traditional Kazakh custom where firstborn children are raised by their grandparents rather than biological parents. The story centers […]

“Bauryna Salu” is a rare, naturalistic gem that one can experience in two wildly different modes. The first involves going in completely cold — no pun intended — and observing the understated drama of its frigid, nomadic setting. The second involves experiencing its intricacies through the eyes of 12-year-old protagonist Yersultan (an impeccable Yersultan Yerman), […]