Kazakh epic film "Tomiris" screened in the capital of the European Union

Brussels, December 14, 2021 - In honor of the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a special screening of the 2019 film "Tomiris," directed by Akan Satayev, took place in the Royal Cinema Center of Belgium "CINEMATEK".

The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Brussels with the assistance of the Association of Kazakh Cinema in France as part of a week of Kazakh national cinema in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Interest was high, as fans of Kazakh cinema had the first opportunity to see the film in a live theatrical setting since 2019 (2020’s cinema week was restricted to online showings).

Among the guests of the event were the representatives of the European External Relations Service, the European Parliament,  NATO, the diplomatic corps of Brussels, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and other officials. The majority of the audience was made up of local cinema enthusiasts and representatives of the Kazakh diaspora.

In addition to the film showing, visitors were seen enjoying the exhibition of photographs dedicated to the achievements of Kazakhstan in the field of economic, cultural, and humanitarian development, since achieving independence in 1991.

Welcoming the guests of the event, Zhandos Bukhbantaev, Charge d'Affaires of the Kazakh Embassy in Brussels, noted that in 30 years of independence, Kazakhstan has achieved significant results in the economy, culture, and foreign policy, and has built trusting and mutually beneficial relations with the EU and individual European countries.

He said that the film “Tomiris” was exemplary of Kazakhstan’s rich cultural history and forwarded themes of bravery, unity, patriotism, as well as the role of women in maintaining a strong Kazakh nation.

The head of the Association of Kazakhstani Cinema Andrei Ivanov and actress Aizhan Irgalieva, who plays the role of Sardana, sister of the titular warrior-queen, thanked the audience for their interest in modern Kazakhstani cinema, which is in the process of becoming a recognized part of modern world cinema.

CINEMATEK is the largest film festival center in the Belgian capital and houses the Royal Film Archives, founded in 1938 by Henri Storck, André Tiriface, and Pete Vermeulen, with over 180,000 copies and 85,000 negatives.

As part of Film Week, on December 15, 2021, viewers of Luxembourg will be able to see “Horse Thieves: Roads of Time,” a 2019 Kazakh film directed by Yerlan Nurmukhambetov and Lisa Takeba, and featuring actress and laureate of the Cannes Film Festival Samal Yeslyamova.

The screening will take place in “Kinepolis,” Luxembourg’s largest cinema.