Ilya Gariyev

This is the story of a teenage illegal migrant girl Ademoka who lives in Kazakhstan and is forced to be a beggar to survive. But at the same time she’s bright and talented and dreams of studying all the time. Her illegal status and absence of citizenship is a serious obstacle for that.

The Kazakh village Karatas has long been subjugated by a criminal boss called Poshaev. He provides housing and jobs for the locals but will ruthlessly execute anyone who dares to oppose him. This is the lesson the pauper Arzu is about to learn first-hand—his wife Karina has informed the police about the crimes that are taking place there. Arzu is a cripple; now he must raise his little daughter alone. He is so helpless and grief-stricken that he doesn’t even seem to be contemplating revenge. Poshaev takes him under his wing and offers him the position of a guard at a building site. Soon Arzu has a chance to prove his loyalty, and he becomes Poshaev’s right hand. But where do Arzu’s real loyalties lie—with his boss or with the idea of justice?

Masked figures with machine guns march into the secondary school in Karatas, take the pupils hostage, and execute one of them. They make no demands. Silent terror is their modus operandi. Seeing as the army will take two days to arrive due to a snowstorm, maths teacher Tazshi decides to assemble his own assault team: his ex-wife, the gym teacher, the cowardly school principal, an alcoholic night watchman, the village idiot, and an incompetent chief of police.

Selkeu Uashev is a local police officer at Karatas village. He’s not a man of high morals and can hardly be called a role model as a policeman. He turns a deaf ear to lots of criminal offences and takes bribes. For that he’s loved a lot by local criminals and frauds. But one day the commission arrives from the city to declare the big audit all over the village due to pandemic…

Tolik, a bread delivery man, lives with his pregnant wife Altynai, his two daughters– Saule who is about to enter college and her younger sister— and a somewhat selfish father. The family is already drowning in debt. Meanwhile, Saule becomes pregnant, and Tolik and Altynai are insulted by her boyfriend′s parents. Tolik goes to complain to his only friend, Baur, but Baur collapses from a heart attack while dancing.

Life in Karatas Village runs along an untroubled path, until its patriarchal way of life is challenged by Ulbolsyn, a woman whose coldblooded heart and blazing temperament are not afraid of setting everything on fire.

A boy is murdered in Kazakh village. Detective Bekzat wants to wrap up the inquiries quickly: after all, the perpetrator has already been found by local police officers. But when a journalist arrives from the city, everything falls to pieces. For the first time in his career, Bekzat must conduct a real investigation according to procedure.

Ex-con Kermek and his beloved Eva want to leave their crime-infested lives on the Kazakh steppes behind. He has a dream: building a movie theater in the mountains. Will Kermek's love of Alain Delon be strong enough to keep them out of the violent clutches of the mafia?

The film tells the story of a street thug Atbai, who decides to take part in MMA tournament, where the winners are already decided. But Atbai is going to win, because for him this victory is a chance to start a new life: to return to big sports and to get his beloved woman back.

Colored hair, earrings in ears, bright clothes - an image that is very different from the Kazakh standard of masculinity. This is how the main characters of this, members of the Kazakhstani group Ninety One, look like. Many will not find anything unusual in the image of the musicians, however, the group’s popularity among Kazakh-speaking teenagers caused a great indignation of part of society, which led to street protests, disruptions of concerts and pressure from the authorities. The appearance of Ninety One revealed a whole layer of social and cultural conflicts within Kazakhstani society - between urban and rural culture, between traditionalism and globalization, between the vertical of power and personal freedom.

The past must remain in the past. However, old Kasymych returns to the places of his childhood in order to relive again and again the best moments of a bygone life. But what is left of his childhood today? Is anyone waiting for him in the past?

The past must remain in the past. However, old Kasymych returns to the places of his childhood in order to relive again and again the best moments of a bygone life. But what is left of his childhood today? Is anyone waiting for him in the past?

The 30-year-old Iskander is a food-photographer who, due to his own indecision, experiences a crisis both in his work and in his sexual relation with his colleague and beloved Laura. He wants to change his situation by completing a promising project for a popular fast food chain. Because of a «red level of terrorist threat» in the city, while he’s working he ends up locked in a fast food with a random customer, Anat. The two have sex, then Iskander backs out, but Anat finds a way to get satisfaction. She teaches him not to be afraid of mistakes. Iskander gains self-confidence and shows his courage in his job and in sex with Laura, who finally gives him her respect and love.

After the passing of her grandmother, a businessman's daughter goes back to her birthplace. After a little while, she receives the visit of her former classmates but their reunion take an unexpected turn. The guests tells her that they need some money to cover the murder they've committed.