BAUYR (LITTLE BROTHER) (Serik Aprymov 2013)

This film was a top choice of mine in the Santa Barbara Film Festival.  Stunning cinematography, well acted, light hearted, emotional and creatively presented, this film was exceptional in all respects. The story had a nice pace and flowed from scene to scene, each part building on the last to build a memorable story.

The story of a young boy taking on the responsibilities of a man at a very young age.  Yerkin is a 9 year old boy with no mother, a father who has left town for another woman, and a big brother who goes to school in a far off city. Yerkin makes clay bricks to earn money, has an auntie who helps keep him fed, and manages to get himself to school.  Like most boys, he is full of mischief and not content to sit in a classroom obediently. Yerkin makes sure that his days are interesting by getting into as much mischief as possible while handling himself well enough to earn the respect of fellow villagers.

The story becomes more interesting when his older brother arrives in town and teaches Yerkin about standing up for himself.  It is a welcome lesson and gives Yerkin more credibility with his peers.

This story is a delight.  It presents an opportunity to learn about Kazakhstan, their culture, a different way of thinking, and while it leaves you with a lot to think about, it gives you a happy and lighthearted approach to even the most traumatic of events.  It makes you look for the good in life and appreciate all that you have.  It is an amazing achievement by director Serik Aprymov whose son in real life plays the “older brother”.