Film Review: Bauryna Salu

Directed by Askhat Kuchinchirekov
113 min – Kazakhstan
US Premiere – Subtitled

This film feels like a documentary, and most of the characters are played by non-actors, but it is a carefully plotted story. The title refers to a traditional practice in Kazakhstan in which the first-born child is sent to live with a grandparent.

While this may sound innocuous, Yersultan, our hero, lives a lonely life with his grandmother, doing hard labor morning to night, and with little experience of kindness or affection. He has no memory of his parents, but looks wistfully at an old photograph and dreams of returning to see them. When his grandmother dies, he gets his chance, but reality is very different from what he imagined.

There is little dialog in this film, but the many passages observing small moments in Yersultan’s daily life are completely absorbing and allow us to read his feelings and his relationships. We deeply sense his confusion and anguish when his grandmother dies, and when he tries to settle in with his parents’ life. T

he wonderful young actor who plays Yersultan has few words, but his subtle expressions speak volumes, and when he decides to let show his feelings it is breathtaking.

The filmmaker and producer were available for the post-film Q&A and revealed that not only is this practice still common in Kazakhstan, but that it was the filmmaker’s own experience.

Bauryna Salu is playing again on February 9 at 2:00pm

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a celebrated venue for independent and international cinema. Over its 40-year history, SBIFF has grown into one of the leading film festivals in the United States, known for its commitment to community education and the arts. The festival not only showcases world-class filmmaking but also supports educational initiatives aimed at students and underserved communities within Santa Barbara County. For detailed information on films and events featured at the festival, please visit SBIFF’s official website.