The Kyrgyz people have a long standing tradition of forced marriages based on the kidnapping of the bride, which is still widely spread today. This film is about one of these stories. Sagyn’s mother decides to get her son married to Anara, a humble girl, after having reached an agreement with the girl’s parents. But Sagyn is in love with Asyl, bride to be of another man. Sagyn’s mother organises a party with the aim of kidnapping Anara, but due to a series of fortuitous events, Asyl is kidnapped in her place by mistake. Asyl is upset and tries to resist, but Sagyn, who is in love with her, is convinced that this is their destiny and marries her anyway. In addition to the plight of the two newly-weds and their difficult relationship, comes the hard life of the wild mountains, where they live after their wedding. Asyl however finds out that Sagyn is the man she loves and with whom she wants to spend her life.
Director
Ernest Abdyjaparov
ERNEST ABDYJAPAROV
Ernest Abdyjaparov was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 1961. He studied at the Institute for Russian Language and Culture and then concentrated on teaching. In 1988 he started to work for the Kyrgyzfilm Studios as a production and location manager. In the same period he worked for the cinema review, Korogoch becoming assistant director and editor. Since 1993 he has worked as a director. With the full-length film Saratan (2005) he made his début as director of a narrative-based film.