Kazakh cinema legend Asanali Ashimov

This program is devoted to the classic of Kazakh cinema, National artist of USSR, the winner of USSR State award, the legendary actor – Asanali Ashimov – on his 75th birthday. He started to act in his 20-ies in Botagoz (1957), “On the Shore of Irtysh River (1959), being a student of Kazakh National Academy of music. At the same time he was working in Kazakh Academy Theatre named after Auezov. “Kyz-Jibek” and “End of Ataman”, “Trans-Siberian express” make him All-Soviet Union famous actor and his face becomes a trademark of Kazakh cinema. In 1980-1990 Asanali Ashimov starts to make films as a director – “Dragon’s year”, “Legendary Chokan”, “Wormwood”, “Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu”, “House by the salt lake”. 

Films of the program:

• “Traces go beyond the horizont”, 1964, directed by Mazhit Begalin
  It is one of the bright poetic pictures of “thaw period” soviet time of Kazakh cinema. Asanali Ashimov is 27 year old here. The story tells us about sever life of cattle breeding workers. The girl Jaukhaz leaves her parent’s house against her will. Her stepmother forced her to get married. Jaukhaz lives on the far high-mountain pasture. The routine of a ship herder is severe but one day she falls in love with Tanabai – machine operator from neighboring brigade. And then she realizes how vast the life is, and how week are old tradition rules that made her married the man she has never loved.
• “End of Ataman”, 1970, directed by Shaken Aimanov
  The film was honored with State award of Kazakh SSR in 1972. The State award was given to Michael Konchalovsky, A. Tropinin, actor Asanali Ashimov.
  This is an adventure film based on real historical events that took place in Kazakhstan in 1920. Dzharkent’s “KGB” developed an operation on liquidation of the white-guard soldiers group of ataman Dutov. The chekist Chadiyarov had to execute this operation. He entered the headquarters of ataman, won their trust, and completed the mission with his life being at risk.
• “Trans-Siberian express”, 1977, directed by Eldor Urazbayev
  State award of SSR 1978, “Best Adventure Film” award in Erevan film festival in 1978,
  “Best director’s debut” award in Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 1978.
  The Soviet chekists prevented the murder of the big Japanese entrepreneur Saito who went to Moscow by trans-Siberian express in order to have trading negotiations with Soviet Russia. The soviet special agent Omar Kasymkhanov, pretending to be a Chinese business man and an artist Fan U-Chun, was in charge of this operation.
• “Who are you, Mr. Ka?”, 2009, directed by Huat Akhmetov
  This story tells us about the man’s hard destiny, whose life is disabled and full of collisions. The way back to the native lands is full of adventures – the way to redemption.