The historic film “Tomiris” directed by Akan Satayev will be released Sept. 29 in North American movie theaters after Arclight Films sold the U.S. distribution rights to the Well Go USA company, reported the Kazakhfilm press service.
The film “Tomiris” tells the story of the life of legendary queen Tomiris. As a great ruler and skillful warrior Tomiris led and united the Saka tribes to successfully defeat the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great in 530 B.C. The film is based on manuscripts written by ancient Greek historian Herodotus of Halicarnassus. Tomiris was a debut performance for Almira Tursyn. Syrian actor and film-maker Ghassan Massoud played the role of the Persian king Cyrus.
“We are grateful to live in a world where there is a strong appetite for real-life stories of strong and independent women, these are the stories that deserve to be told,” Arclight Films chairman Gary Hamilton told Variety Magazine.
“‘Tomiris” tells a story of female empowerment coupled with exquisite landscapes and exceptional production values to drive the point across. It is an epic film that is sure to enthrall audiences hungry for more entertainment featuring strong female leads. When Kazakh-American film producer Gia Noortas introduced us to this special project, we immediately recognized the extraordinary potential of the film. We are thrilled that our friends at Well Go USA share our excitement and want to bring the inspiring story of Queen Tomiris to U.S. audiences,” added Hamilton.
Hollywood Reporter Magazine describes Satayev’s work as a “sword-and-sandals adventure” about “the real-life sixth century B.C. female warlord and her army challenging the peoples of the Great Steppes.”
“We have a passion for incredible stories, and few are more compelling than the almost unfathomable life story of the first historical queen of the Amazons,” said president and CEO of Well Go USA Entertainment Doris Pfardrescher.
Pfardrescher noted that American viewers will be left “awe-struck by this fierce young warrior, who embodied strength and unwavering love for her people that allowed her to overcome great obstacles in her way to protect them at all costs, even when it meant waging war against the most powerful empire the world had seen at the time.”
“Tomiris” was released in September 2019 in Kazakhstan. The film collected 480 million tenge (US$1.2 million) at the box office in a month. The film was long-listed for the Best Foreign Language Film nomination at the 2020 Golden Globes.
Director Satayev said that it took 93 filming days to create the film and post-production lasted for two and a half years. Satayev has also directed Kazakhstan’s other Foreign Language Film Oscar entries like “Strayed” and “Myn Bala” (Brave).
