Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Delegation
September 18-28, 2011

Filmmaker: Alex Rotaru, Kids with Cameras.
Expert: Diane Carson

Cities: Almaty, Shymkent, Astana

Delegate Report

by Alex Rotaru and Diane Carson

“Viewers repeatedly expressed their surprise and delight at American documentary films presenting the multifaceted, complex nature of our society, thereby replacing pervasive, simplistic Hollywood stereotypes. This effect is immensely gratifying to them and us.” – Diane

The Kazakhstan Embassy staff selected six American Documentary Showcase films to screen, films featured as part of the Eurasia Film Festival in Almaty, Shymkent, and Astana. In alphabetical order, they are:

Kids with Cameras, director/producer/editor Alex Rotaru, 52 minutes
Make Believe, director/editor, J. Clay Tweel, 91 minutes
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, directors/producers
Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, 92 minutes
Poster Girldirector/cinematographer/co-producer Sara Nesson, 39 min
Niger ’66: A Peace Corps Diary, director/producer Judy Irola, 75 minutes
We Still Live Here, director/producer/writer Anne Makepeace, 56 minutes

The delegation of Alex and Diane attended 15 screenings of these films during their 10 working days in Kazakhstan. With only a couple exceptions, the films played to standing room only audiences with lively question-and-answer sessions after each film, animated discussions that always continued outside the allotted theater time.

The delegation also made presentations to students of the Film and Cinema Faculty of the State Academy of Arts in Almaty and the students of Film Faculty of the South Kazakhstan University in Shymkent. Alex and Diane also led a master class at the National University of Arts in Astana. They led a question and answer session at the American Corner in Almaty and attended the grand opening of the American Corner in Shymkent. Along with embassy representatives, they attended two press conferences, one as part of the Eurasia Film Festival in Almaty and one at the National Press Club in Shymkent. Additionally, Alex met with representatives at the Aigak TV station in Shymkent.

The following describes the
specific activities in the three cities we visited.

Almaty—Sunday, September 18 to Wednesday, September 21

After a Sunday evening briefing with Embassy staff at the beautiful Rixos Hotel, we enjoyed our dinner introduction to Kazakhstani food from manti to samsa and shelpek to lagman—all delicious. We continued to try new dishes throughout our stay, one of the joys of travel.

On Monday we began our delegation presentations through a rewarding exchange with State Academy of Arts’ students. These students and subsequent groups expressed curiosity about the entire documentary process from topic choices to film costs to exhibition. Alex handled all the questions at all our presentations with candid, clear answers and an engaging sense of humor that encouraged questions and interaction. Diane added additional examples and details and provided historical documentary context.

Diane (C-L) answers questions at the State Academy of Arts; Rakhyia translates

After changing to appropriately chic attire for the Eurasia Film Festival red carpet walk, we joined the celebrities and excitement of the Eurasia Film Festival kickoff. After watching John Cusack, Natassja Kinski, South Korean director Kim Ki-duk and other luminaries ascend the red-carpeted stairs, we, along with Counselor for Public Affairs Jeff Sexton, Cultural Affairs Officer Sue Kuester, and Cultural Affairs Assistant Ainura Ashirova, joined the fun of the red carpet walk, posed for photos, and watched the opening ceremony in the Palace of Students. Since our translation devices didn’t work, we left the opening film early and traveled to the Almaty Towers for the reception. In addition to a lot of great food and conversation at the table we shared with the Russian delegation to the film festival, the cultural entertainers pleased and educated us. Dancers, musicians, singers, and acrobats, all in traditional costumes, provided exceptional performances.

L to R: Jeff Sexton, Ainura Ashirova, Diane Carson, Alex Rotaru, Sue Kuester at Eurasia FF

Diane Carson and Alex Rotaru on the red carpet at Eurasia FF

On Tuesday, we began with a press conference for the Eurasia Film Festival, followed by a visit to the American Corner and an energetic group of 45, composed mostly of young women. They and subsequent audiences had lots of questions for Alex about his documentary work from the usual curiosity about how and why he picked his topics (they pick him, Alex explained), how long it took to make the film (five and a half years, not a long time for documentary productions), costs (miniscule budgets by Hollywood standards and a total commitment of passion and energy), and exhibition. Alex encouraged students to think of using their cell phones as available documentary cameras with works suitable for upload to YouTube and other websites to launch their careers. The hospitable American Corner staff presented Alex and Diane with lovely books about Almaty and Kazakhstan, books we’ll be proud to show off and to employ to educate friends.

L to R: Rakhyia Bekbayeva, Diane Carson, Alex Rotaru, festival head Gulnara Abikeyeva, Jeff Sexton, Leonard Hill

With the Almaty American Corner public and staff

Diane Carson and Alex Rotaru with the banner of the American Documentary Festival

After the American Corner presentations, the remainder of Tuesday and all day Wednesday consisted of Eurasia film festival screenings and presentations at the Silk Way City Cinemas. Kids with Cameras played to 150 plus viewers and was attended by head of Kazakhfilm, Ermek Amanshayev.

L to R: Bob Cone, Director of the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, Diane Carson and Jeff Sexton

The Most Dangerous Man played in a smaller theater to an audience over 60 strong, and the Wednesday morning screening of Make Believe to 45, Poster Girl and Niger ’66 played each to over 50 individuals.

As noted above, every screening prompted insightful questions and involved discussion on the respective film’s topic. The bonus for Niger ’66 was the attendance of six Peace Corps volunteers who talked about their assignments and their rewarding contributions to Kazakhstan communities. They were enthusiastic and inspirational and received a very warm welcome from the Kazakhstan audience.

Throughout our stay in Almaty, Rakhiya Bekbayeva provided translation with professional skill and conversational warmth.

The Almaty part of the delegation was a huge success. Alex and Diane exchanged business cards and email addresses with dozens of people, especially quite a few young adults. Alex encouraged them to visit his Facebook page, to send him questions and to pursue their interest in documentary subjects in their immediate environment. I agreed to read screenplays and film ideas from several students and will continue to follow up with them.

Shymkent, September 22 & 23

Thursday morning, September 22nd, we flew to Shymkent , checked into the Hotel Samala, and had lunch before heading to the 2:30 p.m. press conference at the National Press Club attended by 40 journalists. In answers to a variety of questions, Leonard Hill, Acting US Consul General in Almaty, Alex and Diane explained the background of the American Documentary Showcase, the U.S. State Department grant that supported it, how films were chosen, where they were exhibited, and the responses we had enjoyed in Kazakhstan. Ainur Nurtai translated for us, as she continued to do with expertise and grace throughout our stay in Shymkent.

Press Conference in Shymkent; from L to R: Ainur Nurtai, Alex Rotaru, Leonard Hill, Diane Carson

We then went to the Kinopark Cinema in the Shymkent Mega Center for a screening of Poster Girl followed by a reception in the cinema’s hall area. As usual, we were all so involved in discussions that we barely had time to eat during the hour-long reception, which was fine by us because we were having such a great time interacting with the audience. We then went straight into a screening of Kids with Cameras with the strongly positive response we’ve enjoyed each time.

One woman who spoke individually to Cathy (Len Hill’s wife) and me after the screening proved particularly memorable. She explained that she has an autistic son, that she felt guilty about it, that she must have done something wrong during pregnancy, and that she felt isolated. We talked at length with her, suggesting websites, avenues for finding community support groups in Shymkent or online, and about pursuing more information about the subject. We explained that his autism was not her fault and offered as much information and support as we could. Sometimes just one person makes an entire screening feel completely worthwhile and this was one of those times. We wonder how many more audience members fall into this group and came to learn more about autism, to discover a community of support, and to find comfort in the knowledge that they are certainly not alone.

Diane Carson documents the sold-out screening of KIDS WITH CAMERAS in Shymkent

Friday morning, September 23rd, we first visited South Kazakhstan University where we had a welcome from Alima Nurlybekova, Director of the Scientific-research Department and Doctor of pedagogical science. She treated us to kumis, slightly fermented mare’s milk, definitely an acquired taste. We appreciated their sharing this custom and, though we’ll probably not order it often, welcomed our sampling of kumis.

Diane is grace personified as she drinks fermented mare milk. Alex does his best.

Gastronomical diplomacy from L to R: Alima Nurlybekova, Mukhtar Singginrbay, Ainura Ashirova,
Leonard Hill, Diane Carson, Alex Rotaru

Following our meeting with Dr. Nurlybekova, Diane presented a brief documentary film history to over 200 faculty and students and Alex answered the usual questions, describing the many aspects of documentary production as only an experienced filmmaker can.

After the event, two film professors approached me to ask for her notes and links. They explained that they knew some of the documentary history I presented but not all that I covered in the general overview. I welcomed their interest in pursuing the topics further, and I happily agreed to send them my notes and links for further resources.

Diane answers questions from the audience in Shymkent

Alex with the students who asked the best questions, and their prizes

Next, we attended the grand opening of the American Corner in Shymkent followed by a reception for the 50 plus in attendance. The grand opening included a ribbon cutting by Len and a government representative (he breezed in and out, very busy) and brief comments by all of us to mark the festive occasion. One custom that we loved was the American Corner representatives throwing candy at us, honored guests, as we entered thereby ensuring a sweet event for a welcoming place. Some men and women wore beautiful traditional costumes. Leili Kokh did a marvelous job organizing this exciting event, and her enthusiasm proved contagious. We had a great time.

Leonard Hill signs the protocol for the new American Corner in Shymkent

After the reception, we had two more screenings at the Kinopark: We Still Live Here and Niger ’66. In my comments after the former of these two, I emphasized the amazing impact of one individual’s efforts and the importance of language preservation since each language uniquely conveys perspective, values, and worldview. This resonated strongly with this audience, and several reinforced their appreciation of the parallels to the important resurgence of the Kazak language. For Niger ’66 current Peace Corps volunteers attended and spoke, a delightful addition to the film, and audience members cheered the Corps representatives.

Astana: September 24-28

We left early (7 a.m.) for our flight to Astana, where we checked into the Diplomat Hotel. Early afternoon and evening, we attended two screenings at the cinema in the Saryarka mall: We Still Live Here and The Most Dangerous Man in America. Both screenings enjoyed standing-room-only audiences of 175 plus individuals. As always, informal conversations continued in the cinema lobby after the formal discussions. The same was true the next day, Sunday, September 25th, for screenings of Make Believe, Kids with Cameras, and Poster Girl.

A fast-growing city: outside Saryarka mall the cranes are flying, while inside Diane answers questions

Dennis Ryan, an expert on the social aspects of autism and the mainstreaming (or lack thereof) of autistic students attended the Kids with Cameras screening. As several people commented, this proved the perfect trifecta with Diane commenting on the construction of the film as a reflection of the autistic sensibility (meaning it integrates so many ideas in a kaleidoscopic way), Alex described the production details and work with the seven autistic students, and Dennis summarized selected current research on autism, including advantages of mainstreaming autistic individuals. As usual, audience members asked if Alex kept up with the film’s subjects (he does) and he filled them in on their progress, including Jon’s entry into film school on the strength of Alex’s recommendation.

Sold-out, standing room only! After the screening (L to R) Dennis Ryan, translator Marianna Kurnussova, Diane Carson, Alex Rotaru and Jeff Sexton take questions from a very eager audience

Monday morning Alex and Diane taught a master class at the National University of Arts and had a great time with 50 to 60 eager students, several of whom had attended Kinopark screenings. Their questions, in particular, demonstrated their thoughtful consideration of documentary film production and the topics of the films shown.

With the students who asked the best questions at the National University of Arts

Alex and Diane then had an hour plus press conference at the Embassy with a well-prepared reporter especially interested in Alex’s film and issues related to autism.

After the press conference, thanks to Zhanar, Alex and Diane had the opportunity to visit the Khan-Shatyr Shopping Mall, an ultra-modern, six-story mall with a spa and beach on the 6th floor. Attendants there kindly gave us a tour. We were astonished at the pools, beaches, and wave area (not functioning when we visited.)

Alex, Diane and Dennis had dinner at a restaurant within walking distance from the Diplomat Hotel to have time to talk further as they sampled local cuisine.

For our last day in Astana, and in Kazakhstan, Alex and Diane joined Dennis in the afternoon at a school for children with disabilities. About 35 teachers attended the screening. Dennis had taught sessions with them earlier in the day, and so these teachers were familiar formally and informally with autism.

Schools here separate children identified with disabilities rather than mainstreaming them, and this was a practice under examination. This concluded our delegation on a high note since these professionals could certainly benefit most from the additional information provided by Kids with Cameras. Throughout our stay in Astana, Marianna Kurnossova provided excellent translation and interpretation.

Special Ed teachers watching KIDS WITH CAMERAS and asking questions; at far R, Dennis Ryan

After a farewell dinner and an hour and a half of sleep, Alex and Diane checked out of the Diplomat Hotel. Jeff and Zhanar also gave up their sleep to take us to the airport and ensure our smooth transition through passport control.

Farewell dinner, L to R: Jeff Sexton, Alex Rotaru, Maren Payne-Holmes, Sue Kuester, Diane Carson

Certainly wiser, happy with our entire experience, we left for home knowing that our audiences and we had changed in so many positive ways through our interaction.

Continuing Connections:

Dozens of emails will continue to be sent as conversations develop further. Alex has promised more guidance to students and American Corner visitors, and has screened a short documentary handed to him by a student in Almaty - about Kazakh-born, Russian ballet legend and Bolshoi star, Ramazan Bapov of SPARTACUS fame. Diane will send documentary history notes and resources to the two film teachers when they contact her, and she’s promised to read several students’ screenplays plus the reviews of one Astana film critic who sought feedback and suggestion.

Ripples from the contacts (too numerous to enumerate) spread far and wide. Surely productive, constructive work will come from these exchanges in way we’ll never know. It’s impossible to track the path of the ideas sparked and growing from our presentations—films themselves and post-screening comments. It is, for example, hard to imagine anyone cavalierly stereotyping or thoroughly misunderstanding autism after Alex’s Kids with Cameras. The same holds true for returning soldiers after seeing Poster Girl, the Vietnam War history (and the Nixon presidency in particular) after The Most Dangerous Man in America, the importance of language and the Peace Corps for anyone who has seen We Still Live Here and Niger ‘66, and the importance of creative outlets for children and young adults as demonstrated in Kids with Cameras and also in Make Believe.

Media and press coverage:

We are still receiving information on media coverage. Three of those that we have received to date are:

In Almaty: Eurasia Film Festival Red Carpet photos (we are in the very bottom)
Almaty Press conference, Eurasia Film Festival
In Shymkent, Press Conference, National Press Club and American Documentary Showcase information carried on Otyrar TV
Gazeta.kz - Kazinform - on US special education experts helping in Astana

Respectively submitted,
Diane Carson and Alex Rotaru