Kazakhstani film “Mugalim” (“Múğalim”) had its world premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival as part of the New Directors section on Sept. 20.
Co-written and directed by Ayana Nurdinova, the film tells the story of a music teacher from the small town of Balkhash who dreams of moving to the big city to perform in the philharmonic. Tired of playing at small parties and weddings, he finally gets the the opportunity to do so when his best friend’s uncle offers him the chance to move to the city with him. He has to make the difficult choice of leaving his family and students behind in order to pursue his dream of making it big as an artist.
“Kazakhstan is currently experiencing a very active period in filmmaking, with a large number of films and series being produced. As for the industry as a whole, I believe Kazakh cinema is on the rise, and I hope that over the next 10–20 years we will see it reach its full potential, producer Aruzhan Dossymkosha told Variety.
Produced by Art East Films, the film stars Oljas Dalelkhan, Rustem Zhanyamanov, Shynar Zhanisbekova, Olga Landina, Akif Petrov and Madina Yesman.
Variety had the chance to interview director Ayana Nurdinova ahead of its world premiere in San Sebastián.
Would you say your film is a semi-autobiographical story?
Ayana Nurdinova: I can partly agree that “Mugalim” is a semi-autobiographical story. The main source of inspiration was my own school in the small city of Taldykorgan in southeastern Kazakhstan. My mother has been an English teacher at a school for more than 30 years, so the world of teachers has always been very close to me.
Beyond the teachers’ storyline, the relationship between Kirill and his mother was also inspired by people I knew during my childhood. Some of the teacher characters were also based, in part, on teachers from my own school years. So while the story itself is fictional, it is rooted in many real people, memories, and experiences from my childhood.
Why did you decide to focus on the life of a music teacher in particular?
Nurdinova: I wanted to portray a character who sees himself as being greater than he actually is, someone who believes he is destined for great things. In that sense, making him a music teacher with grand ambitions felt very natural. Music, and classical music in particular, also carries a great deal of meaning within the film.
In the early drafts of the script, he was a geography teacher and later an English teacher. But once he became a music teacher, his arrogance felt much more natural, and it became easier to develop his motivations and inner world.
What is the meaning of the Aigölek song that the children sing in the film?
Nurdinova: The title “Aigölek” is traditionally associated with the image of the full, round moon and its gentle glow. In Kazakh culture, the word has an affectionate, childlike quality and is also associated with a popular traditional circle game for children. The song celebrates the beauty of one’s native land and the innocence and carefree spirit of childhood.
Is this a fictional town based on the town where you grew up?
Nurdinova: Actually, it is a real town called Balkhash, located on the shore of Lake Balkhash. Originally, I wanted to make the film in my own childhood town, but I felt that a town by the water would be more poetic and visually compelling. I have visited Balkhash several times in my childhood too.
There’s a scene where the locals are protesting the construction of a nuclear power plant in the town.
Nurdinova: The fact that the story takes place in 2024 is directly connected to the debate in Kazakhstan over the construction of a nuclear power plant near Lake Balkhash, specifically in the village of Ulken. That year, Kazakhstan held a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, following an intensive public campaign around the issue.
This was a very current and sensitive issue while we were making the film. During the shooting of this particular scene, people actually approached us and asked us to stop filming. As a result, we ended up with only one wide shot instead of the several shots we had originally planned.
Any other major challenges while shooting the film?
Nurdinova: The location itself presented its own challenges. We were based in a town 700 km away from our home city, so the entire 23-day shoot was essentially a work trip for the crew. It is a small town where there were issues with water supply, and the streets were undergoing their annual repairs. On top of that, we spent 23 days there during the summer heat, with an abundance of mosquitoes, all of which was quite an experience for a city-based film crew.
You’re able to capture the melancholy of living in a small town and the yearning for a different life in the city. Are young people in Kazakhstan today making the move to the big cities?
Nurdinova: Yes. Young people in Kazakhstan both want to and, in many cases, feel they have to leave for the major cities, most often Almaty and Astana. Small towns often have limited opportunities to offer young people today, so they leave in search of education, jobs, and a better quality of life.
I am one of those people myself, I left my small provincial hometown. When fewer resources are invested in the cultural and basic needs of people in these towns, the outflow of young people becomes even stronger. As a result, the towns left behind can gradually lose their energy and become quieter and more melancholic.
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