SDG-4. Meeting with director of movie “Talak”
The director, producer, and screenwriter of the film «Talak», Daniyar Salamat, was the guest of another master class at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in the faculty of journalism. The conference was attended by the faculty dean Kanat Auesbay, the head of the department of publishing, editing and design art Aigul Ramazan, critic, deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper «Zhas Alash» Amirkhan Mendeke, Asylbek Yhsan and students.
Some were already familiar with the event's primary guest, while others were only starting to learn about his work. The dean of the faculty, Kanat Auesbay, convened over the significant meeting, which began with the introduction of the guest of honor, after which the word was handed to Daniyar Salamat.
The director began his speech with the remark «The first tragedy of Kazakh cinema is language» and then continued:
- Let's recall the top Kazakh films. «Kyz Zhibek», «Gauhartas» and «My name is Kozha» are among the top flicks. As a result, the majority of these top films are based on books. «My name is Kozha» is based on the book of the same name by Berdibek Sokpakpaev, «Kyz Zhibek» is a folk epic, «Gauhartas» is a work by Dulat Isabekov. The reason why literature becomes the basis for movies is that literature contains the essence of an entire nation. It will be challenging for you to comprehend the nation if you are not familiar with literature. To be more precise, historical consciousness, national identity and historical memory ultimately converge in literature, the director continued his speech.
The Shanghai Film Festival's top prize this year went to the film «Talak». The majority of spectators apparently didn't fully comprehend the film's relevance and meaning after it was released. Social media users began to criticize «Talak», blasting the director and even urging the authorities to file a lawsuit against the producer. Naturally, the writers of these remarks most likely did not explore the core ideas and takeaways of the film. In a public response to these accusations, the filmmaker outlined his stance.
The director stated, «I only had to reflect the truth. Nothing was added or removed when I created the film based on «Talak» by Beyimbet Maylin. I displayed everything on the screen exactly as it is. Some even chastised me, saying, «Kazakhs did not have such a life at that time, they used to wear fur coats and shapes made of silk fabrics». Thus, the director remained open-minded and shared his ideas freely with the students.
However, critic and editor Amirkhan Mendeke, who disagreed with such opposing views, said in a statement: Many people have started criticizing «Talak». I read terrifying words such, «They are all disheveled; did Kazakhs used to dress like this? When will we stop shooting Kazakhs in this manner?». There were even well-known people who disapproved of the movie. For this reason, I devoted my lecture to the film «Talak». When it comes to the film, there is no trace of artificiality. Daniyar Salamat done so much research on Beyimbet Maylin work that he did not alter the plot in the least. It was moved to the screen exactly as it was in the work, with no modifications. This is already mastery. «Talak» is, in my opinion, one of the best, most honest, and truthful national films. We are very much copying fashion these days. We consider everything that shines and sparkles to be ideal. The same is true with movies. However, «Talak» is a film that advances national interests. He expressed his admiration and positive opinion by saying, «I was very pleased with it».
The students also asked the director a lot of questions, including, «Brown and red colors often appear in the film. Why did you choose these particular colors?», «The film was highly praised in China but criticized in Kazakhstan. Why do you think the Kazakh people were so critical of your work?». The director, as a person who cares about national literature, replied as follows: «Brown color is a symbol of Kazakh culture. It is the color of autumn, wind, sound, and also a reflection of the character of the nation. And red – because Beyimbet Maylin's story «Talak» was written in Soviet times. And the Soviet Union was widely known as the red army. Besides, red is associated with blood, and that's why I chose these colors. Regarding the opinions of the viewers, I believe that the film's profound message has not yet been fully understood by the Kazakh public. For instance, at the premiere in China, Kazakh students from China immediately noted the characters' images and were surprised. Instead of wearing full uniforms, the characters wore very basic clothing. The Kazakhs in China were really fond of this picture. But it was interpreted as an insult by Kazakh viewers».
In China, Daniyar Salamat's film «Talak» has received a lot of appreciation, which is both encouraging and upsetting. It is regrettable that this wonderful picture, capable of increasing the value of the nation, was underappreciated and condemned in its home country. However, the fact that a journalism graduate from KazNU has achieved recognition in China makes us really proud. Daniyar Salamat specially came to the faculty, held a wonderful meeting with students and inspired movie lovers. We are sincerely grateful to the department that organized this master class.
