Two Kazakh Films “Baqyt,” “Goliath” Enter 80th Golden Globe Awards Longlist

ASTANA – The Kazakh feature film “Baqyt” (Happiness), directed by Askar Uzabayev, and the noir film “Goliath” by Adilkhan Yerzhanov entered the longlist of the 80th Golden Globe Awards to take place on Jan. 10, 2023, reported the Kazakhfilm press service on Nov. 30.

“Baqyt” film poster. Photo credit: tengrinews.kz

In September of this year, Kazakh actors Berik Aitzhanov and Daniyar Alshinov won the 2022 Best Actors Award for their roles in “Goliath” at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

The events in the film take place in the village of Karatas which is suffering under the rule of the local criminal boss Poshaev (Alshinov). He provides shelter and employment to the local population but executes those who dare to oppose him. The wife of a poor man named Arzu (Aitzhanov), Karina, suffers the same fate once she informs the authorities of the crimes occurring in the village.

Berik Aitzhanov (Arzu) and Daniyar Alshinov (Poshaev) play the lead roles in the movie “Goliath.” Photo credit: Kazakhfilm

In February this year, the film “Baqyt” won the Audience Award at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

The film, which portrays the problem of domestic violence, tells the story of a woman, who pretends to be happy for everyone around, but nobody knows what she has to endure inside.


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