A few years ago, I was working as an assistant of the DoP in one documentary film. Director and scriptwriter of the film was a seventy years old man who graduated from the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow during the Soviet Union. On the way in shooting, I went to the house of thing elderly director in order to help him with bags. When I got to his place, I was truly shocked – the flat was full of books and pictures and there was no food in the kitchen. After the shooting I found out that, he was making a film on his retirement money. He could not finish film editing as he spent all his money for the shooting.

This episode of my life had pushed me to the writing of the script about a talented man. I was especially influenced when I read how the former actor has been left with nothing and how a formerly successful musician died in a retirement house. While writing the script, we have visited senior residential home. We were surprised when we met musicians, television workers and artists there. We then understood that we were moving in the right direction and decided to include such characters in the story. Among several pictures left by the artists, we have decided to recreate one of the successful works by Vincent van Gogh. Several artists inspired us and we wanted our film to inspire our viewers giving them food for thought this way.

The film covers many themes from the loneliness in old age, to simple social problems and the role of art in society. It is a story about people with a big heart and about their will, courage and noble acts. Our aspiration and passion is a result of the work of our group having spent several years creating this film. The lead character of our story is a widower Kubat who is a writer. He lives alone and it seems like he has been forgotten by the people. The film is about him as he makes a decision to save his friend Sapar despite the odds. He decides to sell the only thing he owns – his apartment. But his nephew Tilek destroys all his plans borrowing the money from the sale and promising to give it back as soon as possible. This way he causes the death of Sapar. As a result Kubat is left with nothing; he loses his friend who dies from not being operated, he becomes homeless and moneyless so he decides to go to the retirement house. We live in a society where close people can deceit you and leave with nothing. Tilek does not care about artists and uses his uncle to solve his problems that arise from dishonest life.

It’s a film at the end of which the harsh reality and materialism conquer spiritual and moral values. With the help of the film we should not only narrate the story but enlighten, inspire, and create significant social changes.

Dastan Zhapar Uulu, co-author of the screenplay and co-director.