Kyrgyz. Film: Beshkimpir, The Adopted Son

We have been very interested in knowing more about Kyrgyzstan traditions and way of life. Eric found this movie, Beshkimpir- The Adopted Son, which we just watched. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festivals as one of the first contemporary Kyrgyz. films. Ironically it is about a family in a small village in Kyrgyzstan who can not have children and feel that a childless home is no way to live. They adopt a baby who they wish to bring the family luck. We really enjoyed the film's simple story and a small glimpse into the country. Maybe some would think the film slow. I found it beautiful and if you are adopting from this country, well worth it! We rented it on Net Flicks.

My favorite part is when a younger boy goes to help Beshkempir court a girl he has fallen for. After this little guy has done his job in retrieving the girl for Beshkempir and the couple ride away on his bicycle, the little boy will have to walk back to town. A tiny little mule walks by with two other small boys on its' back. The two boys barely fit. You hear yelling, probably the little boy asking; can he get a ride? They two boys yell back "no it's too crowded." Not listening at all, the little boy flings himself on the mule and the three on the smallest mule you ever seen, ride off the frame of the film. This moment is actually just a few seconds but is so charming.....the film is filled with little simple happenings of a slower paced life.

review...

The film is a simple story treating universal issues of growing up in a rural landscape. It depicts several Kyrgyz customs - including the ceremony of placing a baby in a cradle (biseke salu), the funerary ceremony and the engagement ceremony. The ceremonies depict several ethnic Kyrgyz artifacts, like the tekemet rugs of the region, the kigiz felt carpets and the Kyrgyz cradle or besik.

The storytelling is simple and direct, and the plentiful visuals of nature and village life is complemented by soundtrack recordings of accentuated village sounds and the sounds of nature. The film is shot in black and white, occasionally interspersed with color sequences. The color sequences typically depict colorful focal themes like the girl Aynura, colorful Tekemet rugs, or a hoopoe (a kind of bird).

Most of the shooting took place on location in the village of Bar-Boulak in Kyrgyzstan.