“Kunanbai” Film Premiere and “Abai” Book Presentation Take Place in Berlin during Abai’s 175th Jubilee

BERLIN, 9 October 2020 – As part of its series of cultural events dedicated to commemorating the 175th jubilee of the great Kazakh poet, thinker and first classical author Abai Kunanbaiuly, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Germany has organized a film screening of the historical drama “Kunanbai” (director – Doskhan Zholzhaksynov, screenwriter – Talasbek Asemkulov) in Berlin’s famous “Zoo Palast” theater. The film, which has received several awards, recounts the life story of rural judge Kunanbai Oskenbaiuly, whose son Abai has brought Kazakhstan and the Kazakh people much fame through his centuries-old masterworks.

At the premiere of the film Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Germany, Dauren Karipov, drew attention to the work and legacy of the great poet, whose literature has been published in the German language by the Embassy in cooperation with German publishing houses as part of the “Kazakh Library” project.

Also, as part of the film screening, the assembled German politicians and experts, public figures, journalists and residents of the German capital were presented with a new German-language collection of works by Abai Kunanbayuly entitled "Abai", which was published in Germany this past August in collaboration between the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports and the National Bureau of Translations.

The event was held in compliance with local sanitary and epidemiological requirements and social distancing norms.