Kazakhstani Film "Ray of Hope" Screened at UNESCO Short Film Festival on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Paris, December 3, 2025 – Screening of Kazakh short film "Ray of Hope" was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris as part of the 2nd UNESCO Festival of Short Films on Disability Inclusion.
The event, organized on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated annually on December 3, is designed to support films that raise awareness about the inalienable rights, testing life stories and impressive achievements of people with disabilities.
The plot of the film presented at the festival by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the State Centre for Support of National Film of Kazakhstan and the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO, was based on the twists of the fate of Kazakh judoka Yergali Shamey. The most important struggle for the protagonist in this film takes place not on a tatami, but in his mind, in which, despite all doubts and trials, he learns overcoming his fears and moving forward. The film, shot by Dala Cinema studios, was directed by Duman Yerkimbek, produced by Zhalyn Tleubergenov, and starred Nazar Sherkhan.
It should be noted that well after the film production was completed, Yergali Shamey performed brilliantly at the Paralympic Games in Paris in September 2024, where he won a silver medal in para judo in the weight category up to 73 kg.
As part of the UNESCO event, 25 short films from all continents were screened, revealing the everyday reality of people with disabilities, the challenges they face, and how they consistently overcome them. Through the universal language of cinema, this initiative aims to highlight the values of cultural diversity and to promote inclusive approaches in education, sports and other areas of contemporary societies development.