Monday, 23 May 2011 00:00 |
State Agency by Cinematography of Kyrgyzstan begins to produce a new film “Princess Nazik”.
This project was a participant of Open Doors Program at Locarno IFF, 2010
Author , film-director and artist – Erkin Saliev
PRINCESS NAZIK
Synopsis
A small village is situated on the picturesque shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Nahzik, a 7 year old girl, lives there with her mother Aijan, a young and bold beauty. Aijan works at a trout farm.
In the other side of the same house, lives n22ot so young couple: Kolya-baike (uncle Kolya) and Anara-eje (aunty Anara), left unemployed after the collapse of the Soviet empire. Kolya-baike is a bee-keeper, and a poacher. He sets up fishing nets in the trout farm at night. He is assisted by his nephew Arzyke, a local Macho. Anara-eje brews moonshine for sale and is assisted by Aijan. Sometimes Aijan smuggles a few dozen nice size trout from the farm and Kolya-baike, together with Arzyke, sell the fish to the countless tourists during the high season.
Everyone struggles to survive in this remote mountainous region, where the “world financial crisis” means little to the locals. Only Nahzik continues to live in her own make-believe world of fairy-tale, which is reflected in her drawings. The main characters of her fantasies are the King and the Princess, through whom she expresses her pain and longing for a father she never knew… Aijan’s been keeping the truth about Nahzik’s father a secret from everyone.
One early morning Erjan, an artist, arrives in the village from neighboring Kazakhstan. He’s been here before and now’s returned, after unsuccessful trip to Europe, where he tried to sell his paintings. The time of the global economic crisis is not the best time to seek glory and money. Eight years passed since the last time he visited here, and now he’s back, hiding from financial debt, accumulated back in Kazakhstan. He stays at Kolya-baike’s, where he is welcomed. He takes walks in the area, starts sketches, and finishes them in his room. Nahzik acquaints Erjan, follows him everywhere, watching a real artist at work. One night she witnesses his intimate meeting with Aijan.
Aijan ignores Erjan’s questions about Nahzik. It does not take long for him to figure out who is Nahzik’s father. There are endearment and love in his eyes when he looks at the girl. Growing closeness of father and child is cut short by two criminals for-hire from Kazakhstan, who are pretending to be tourists but who are, actually, looking for a debtor on the run. The whereabouts of Erjan is pointed to them by Arzyke, who is in love with Aijan and overwhelmed by jealousy.
Erjan is in trouble and Aijan makes her choice. She helps him to escape. Erjan sails off on the motor boat, taking his paintings along. Criminals fire shots at the escaping motor boat in the pitch dark of the night.
Nahzik, already attached to Erjan, cannot comprehend his disappearance. After discovering artist’s empty room, she searches for him throughout the village. Although young, she realizes who Erjan was to her. “Daad! Daad…” calls Nahzik, running along the shore.
This is a story about how world global events have their effect on simple people, living in the most remote areas of civilization; and how even those kinds of events cannot rob someone’s ability to love and to be loved.
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