ASTANA – The first Kazakh-language horror film, “M-Agent,” directed by Erkin Rakishev, will be released April 3.
Rakishev, who made his name with “My Name is Also Kozha,” said his main intention in the new film is to scare audiences.
“I saw people crying after watching my documentary, ‘The Hunger,’ so I decided to see whether I could create a film that would scare the audience or not. I guess I have succeeded,” he said.
The main characters in “M-Agent” are young, carefree students from good families. One night, returning from a party, they accidentally hit and kill a girl and dispose of her body. Soon after, young people begin to die, one by one, under mysterious circumstances. A journalist begins to investigate the crimes, which are thought to be the work of a serial killer who stalks his victims online.
“M-Agent” calls to mind the plot of “The Ring,” the American horror hit that was based on a Japanese film. In all three movies, a ghost girl with black hair comes looking for revenge. This time, she uses Internet chat instead of a videotape.
Rakishev does not deny that the 2002 film inspired him to create his own horror story. “I think Kazakhstan’s young people are too careless. They make friends with complete strangers online, which can have sometimes unpleasant consequences,” the director said.
Gulshara Zhandarbekova, known for her role in 2009’s “Kelіn,” (“Daughter-in-Law”) stars in the movie. The movie’s soundtrack was composed by Bauyrzhan Kokenov, whose music, Rakishev said, will make audiences nervous.
“M-Agent” was made on a budget of $250,000 with the cooperation of the KTK television channel. Before its public release, it was presented at the ninth Eurasia Film Festival as part of the Dynamic Kazakh Movie programme.
