Directed by Aktan Abdykalykov • 1998 • Kyrgyzstan

This award-winning film proved to be a catalyst for Kyrgyz cinema’s post-Soviet development. The second part of an autobiographical series based on director Aktan Abdykalykov’s own life, Beshkempir tells a tale of tumultuous adolescence. The protagonist’s struggles with his father’s alcoholism and the revelation that he is adopted form the backdrop for an exploration of personal growth and communal responsibility.

BESHKEMPIR • БЕШКЕМПИР
Written and directed by Aktan Abdykalykov
Cinematography by Khassan Kydyraliev
Starring: Mirlan Abdykalykov

In Kyrgyz with English subtitles

Winner of the Silver Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival, 1998