The press conference held on the fourth day of the 17th International Eurasia Film Festival once again became a platform for discussing poignant and deep stories. The participants were representatives of two films: the Kazakh drama “Cadet” and the Polish socio-psychological project “Next to Nothing”.
Grzegorz Dębowski, the director of “Next to Nothing”, explained that the inspiration for his film came from the protests and social movements in Poland.
"I observed people participating in these protests, and I realized that every country faces its own social issues. One thing that connects us all is the way these social problems impact our lives. I wanted to create a film that begins with a focus on social issues and gradually shifts to explore the psychological challenges people face," said Grzegorz Dębowski.
The film was produced in 17 days on a minimal budget, with actors from small theatres in Poland. Dębowski highlighted that his script received funding at a competition for young filmmakers, which made it possible to bring his vision to life.
The Kazakh film “Cadet”, produced by the production company Tiger Films tells the story of Serik - a boy whose mother enrolls him in an elite military school. However, the teenager soon finds himself facing harsh realities within the walls of the school. Producer Nazira Bakayeva shared the details about the creation of the film.
"The casting process took a month. We found the lead actors almost immediately, as the film’s director Adilkhan Yerzhanov had already envisioned specific actors for the main roles. The real challenge was finding a talented boy. I hope the audience will enjoy the result. The filming process took 14 shifts and 14 rehearsal days. We are happy to collaborate with Adilkhan Yerzhanov and believe that we have created a truly exceptional project.”
The film's lead actor, Ratmir Yusupzhanov noted that his work on the role felt easy:
“In fact, I didn’t find this role difficult. The director and the entire cast were very supportive, offering guidance and encouragement. It was a comfortable and collaborative environment to work in.”
Producer Maria Kolesnik spoke about the film's success on the international scene:
“We are glad with the outcome of the film, both commercially and in terms of its festival recognition. We participated in the Tokyo Film Festival and received very good feedback from audiences. The film will be released starting January 2, 2024, not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.”
The festival is founded and traditionally organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the Kazakhfilm Studio named after Shaken Aimanov entrusted with the direct organization of the event.
General partner: BAZIS-A company.
It is noteworthy that sponsors include KAZ Minerals group, Sarens Kazakhstan, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), Salem Entertainment, the Kinopark Theatres cinema chain, Astana Motors, Kazakhtelecom JSC, and A-Event KZ.
Media Partners: "Khabar" JSC, Qazaqstan TV Channel, NTK TV Channel, Europa Plus Kazakhstan, Eldoradio, Qazaq Gazetteri, Egemen Qazaqstan, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Antenna Kazakhstan, New Generation, ORDA, Kazinform International News Agency, Arbat Media, El.kz, Baq.kz, BaigeNews.
