Raj dlja mamy

Amir and Serikpai are children of school age. They are growing up in rural Kazakhstan without their father, who went off to Russia in search of work and never came back. Their mother, Polina, is raising them, and they share their home with Polina’s old father and his sister. Without male support, the daily grind is often hard for Polina, and she finds that she cannot cope. The boys are taunted at school by their classmates, but neither shame nor dishonour affects the great love they have for their mother. This film is enhanced by its wonderful cast, and also by its screenplay, written by famous Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf for his Kyrgyz colleague who, this time, chose Kazakhstan as his location. Kubat’s social drama betrays the raw poetic style characteristic for Central Asian cinema, and will delight all viewers who expect a prominent display of pure, strong emotion. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)