Beshkempir

This film is not only well-acted and written, but it also one of the most visually impressive in years. The story is very simplistic in nature, and its detailed scenes of childhood discovery are captivating and enlightening. A great movie for movie goers of all ages and interests.

Not only is this film visually beautiful, shot in black and white with occasional scenes in color depicting the rural village where the film is set and its ancient rituals and traditions, but Abdykalykov also succeeds in telling us the story of Beshkempir, a boy who discovers his adoption, and the transition he makes from a child to a young adult. Strongly recommended.

Beshkempir is one of the resonable rare films which does not overfill you with a lot of pictures. The story is very simple - the growing up of a young boy in a rural part in Kirgistan - but it contains in a way the whole "meaning of life". The growing up from child to a young adult is shown in a tremendous poetic way

When the USSR dissolved, the separated countries struggled to find their own identities. Many of them failed to emerge victoriously from this struggle and vanished from the world of art and literature... Kyrgyzstan is in a different position. Kyrgyz filmmakers like Aktan Abdykalykov (also known as Aktan Arym Kubat), who were trying to find their own cinematic language after the USSR, created a Kyrgyz New Wave in the world of cinema. Yes, due to its location and economic strength, Kyrgyzstan does not have a very productive cinema, but they still make themselves known from time to time.

"Beshkempir," a coming-of-age story, tells its tale in a highly engaging language thanks to the tremendous success of its cinematographer, Khassan Kydyraliev.

For reasons unknown, Noé Production has not restored and re-released the films in its possession, and as a result, many films belonging to this production company, despite being magnificent cinematic works, remain underrated.

When I was first watching this movie, I was reminded of Fellini's "Armacord," because it seemed to be more poetic and atmospheric in nature than driven by a narrative structure. I soon realized that it was not so much the collage sort of film that Fellini had made of his reminiscence of his childhood, but that there was a narrative to "Beshkempir." This film is wonderfully acted, filmed, and edited, and it incorporates the sounds of nature to great effect. As other reviewers have written, the film's pace is "slow," but deliberately so. It gives the viewer time to soak in the landscape, feel familiar with the village and its surroundings, and get to "know" the characters as well as the traditions of the village. It is a peak into the world of Kygystan, which was my first ever, and I envied the closeness of the villagers and the rich life they live with only the most essential of material things.

This is a coming of age film, but one done in a way that has made it one of my favorite movies of all time. Not enough people in the world will ever know of it, even though it ranks among the best of works by filmmakers like Truffeat, Bergman, and Rohmer, all favorite directors of mine for years.