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Award Winner

Festival Season:

September 2024

VOICE OF THE GLACIER

VOICE OF THE GLACIER

Directors:

Writers:

YADIKAR IBRAIMOV

Producers:

MIKA SARUAR

Run Time:

1:19:00

Awarded for the following Category(s):

Awarded Category(s)

In a remote mountainous area at an altitude of 3400 meters in absolute isolation, two researchers are studying an ancient dying glacier. Tuyuksu glacier is a central valley glacier in Kazakhstan, located on the northern slope of the Zailiyskiy Alatau ridge. From 1958 to the present day, Tuyuksu has lost about 57 million cubic meters of ice. The glacier is rapidly melting, Scientists believe that the glacier, which is of great importance for the whole of Central Asia, will cease to exist by 2050, and in this regard, an acute shortage of fresh water will begin in the region. And related to that an increase in social and economic tension in the region will follow.



Submitter Statement

Past ten years I worked and studied a lot. Starting as a PA in different departments. I was chasing camera trucks all around the great steppe. I spent countless adept hours watching movies of every form and genre. I studied and observed life and I acquired a skill and knowledge of directing. I'm at the very beginning of my journey, there's miles to cover and room to grow. 


Kazakhstan, Central Asia - is my home. And cinema and tv - is my second home. And on the map of my second home Central Asia is a very big blank spot. It is Drastically under-covered by cinema, Both in features and in documentary. People of the world have almost no idea about the stories of Central Asia. And each corner of Central Asia is utterly fascinating. The individuals, the society, nature, culture, desperate cases of ecological disaster, nuclear polygons, rivers and lakes seizing to exist, hard to breathe polluted air of industrial cities, etc, etc. etc. 


Peculiarity and uniqueness of each constituent element of the region is beyond count. It's so full of stories that are worth sharing, stories that are tremendously heartbreaking and stories that can uplift your heart so breathtakingly high. And this gives a responsibility and to this I feel obligated to use my skills to tell these stories. And documentary being the most instantly soul piercing form feels most naturally right to do so.

Born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Finished local academy of arts majoring in film directing. My short experimental doc "Letter Home" (2021) was supported and exhibited by ROADWORK project, co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Zurich. Also shown at Jana Çecara film festival dedicated for works concerning Uyghur region based in Almaty. Short poetry film "Any liquid poured into a jug" participated at "Silk Road Poetry film festival" Short film "LET HER DANCE" was shown in underground galleries throughout Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in China. Also it participated in several international festivals such as: 7th INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FILM FESTIVAL (India) Balkan Can Kino (Greece) Ekurhuleni International Film Festival-EIFF (South Africa) Short documentary about Xinjiang Uyghur reeducation camp survivor Dina Nurdybai participated in QARAFEST documentary film festival based in Almaty. It got special jury mention. With Feature project in development about Uyghur culture intertwined in plight of genocide titled "Questions" I'm starting to participate in pitchings, first one was in the beginning of July within Qazdoc documentary filmmakers association of Kazakhstan. With Feature Documentary "Voice of the Glacier" I won a pitching for full support by the "State Center for the Support of National Cinema of Kazakhstan" . At the moment we are looking for festivals for a premiere.

Key Cast

Other Credits

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