A Dark, Dark Man

In the steppes of Kazakhstan, young policeman Bekzat accustomed to a life entrenched in corruption and crime, is tasked with covering up a boy's murder. But this assignment spirals into complexity with the arrival of Ariana, a determined journalist adamant about uncovering the truth. As they dig deeper, Bekzat finds himself questioning his loyalties and the corrupt system he has always upheld. Director Adilkhan Yerzhanov crafts a gripping narrative steeped in the shadows of French film noir, diverging from the glitz of Hollywood to explore themes of power and morality as philosophized by Montesquieu. With a backdrop that mirrors the bleakness of the human condition it portrays, the film melds dark humor with a poignant exploration of systemic corruption. Yerzhanov’s lens captures both the desolation of the Kazakh landscapes and the internal desolation of his characters, supported by performances that weave strength with vulnerability. A DARK, DARK MAN stands as a testament to Yerzhanov's directorial prowess, earning accolades such as the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Achievement in Directing. This film not only carves out a space for Kazakh cinema in the global dialogue on justice and ethics but does so with an unyielding grip on the realities of its setting. As the steppe cowboy’s certainties waver, so does the audience’s, caught in the tension of a beautifully morose cinematic experience that challenges as much as it captivates.

Keywords

• Sooner Europe Exclusives: Stories that Matter
• Sooner Exclusives
• Storyline: Global Village
• antihero
• corruption
• disability
• film noir

Actors

• Daniyar Alshinov
• Dinara Baktybayeva
• Teoman Khos
• Karim Kadyrbayev

Director

• Adilkhan Yerzhanov