The Cinematheque

“Stylish and dark [and] highly poetic … In the hands of Kyrgyz directors, Aitmatov’s screenplays became masterpieces.”

Peter Rollberg, Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema

As war reaches even the distant ayil (rural settlements) of Kyrgyzstan, teenager Sultanmurat—at an age meant for falling in love and carefree mischief—plows the cold fields and tends the horses while hoping for the return of his beloved father. Dreaming of a full house, he instead finds himself in a devastated village where the unresolved legacy of Soviet oppression returns at the worst possible moment. Issues that once belonged to the past reappear to cast a looming shadow. Masterfully weaving strands of memories and bleak reality together, Bolotbek Shamshiyev captures a world shaped by forces beyond the teenager’s control. The renowned director of the Kyrgyz ​“Wonder” era brings Early Cranes to life in collaboration with Chingiz Aitmatov, the author of the source novel and arguably the greatest figure in Kyrgyz literature.

In Kyrgyz and Russian with English subtitles

Preceded by a video introduction from Sultan Usuvaliev, a Kyrgyz film scholar and critic.