Gainikamal

Smart and cheerful Kausar lives in a small village with her father. Her mother passed away a long time ago, but despite the pain of loss, the little girl continues to live on. Her father Alihan, however, struggles to cope with his loss. He drinks, spends long hours alone in the kitchen, and seemingly doesn't acknowledge his daughter's presence. Kausar's mother once told her that if you see a falling star and make a wish, it would surely come true. Hence, the girl spends every night looking out the window at the sky, hoping for a falling star so she can wish for her father's return. One day, she decides to climb on the roof for a better view of the sky, a decision that will forever change her life.

Drama

Short films

Kazakhstan

Stars

Жұлдыздар

Set during the devastating famine in the Kazakh steppe, a small family of five makes a secret decision to leave their dying village. They have no livestock, leaving a young man as the only one capable of pulling their cart. His son and mother sit in the cart with their meager belongings, while his wife and father push from behind. Their only provisions are water and a sack of kurt, a traditional cheese. Unbeknownst to the family, a starving boy has made a hole in the sack and is secretly eating the cheese, quickly depleting their resources. The family moves towards the border, avoiding deserted villages stalked by hungry wolves. Can they survive and reach safety, or will they, like many others, perish from hunger in the steppe, desolated by collectivization?

Gainikamal Baikoshkarova: фильмография