By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Marat Sarulu
Starring: Akmaral Uzbekova | Aziz Yusupov | Jyldyz Bekova | Kurmanbek Mamyrov | Meerim Atantaeva
Original language title: Ming kiyal
Country: kyrgyzstan
Year: 2022
Running time: 89
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20881222/reference/
Brett says: “A cryptic excerpt from a poem by W.H. Auden about Atlantis opens this equally dream-like film. The underwater isle of fantasy in this particular excerpt of the poem is described with a similar flair as Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Kubla Khan. The introduction of the film with this work sets the tone for a whispery, otherworldly dreamscape that weaves in and out of reality.
“A man compiles video diaries that navigate his outlooks on life and what more there is than our superficial observations and experiences therein. Meanwhile, his significant other—a woman operating in a much more matter-of-fact realm of existence—notices his change in behavior and hires a private investigator to find out what’s going on with him. This is one of the two main ways the audience has to try to uncover the protagonist’s transcendent journey, the other being the video diaries themselves. Director Marat Sarulu also compiles some stylistic montages, alternative visual shots, a mostly black and white palette, and a wide range of atmospheric shots to add to the audience’s sense of fantasy of weaving in and out present reality.
“This is a very unconventional approach to narrative. Recent widely viewed films that come to mind which escape traditional narrative reveals are MEMORIA and DAYS. While this is not a copy of either of those by any means, the subdued nature and contemplations of this film might draw comparisons. One could argue there are more portrait-worthy standalone shots in this film than either of the other two that were mentioned. One theme that is not as much of a primary focus explored in either of the aforementioned films which is part of the lifeblood of this film is love. Early on in the film’s exposition the viewer is challenged with a poetic view of love that is ironic and goes against many of our preconceived notions about what love is. Another motif coupled with this notion throughout the film is the sun. While images of brightness and perhaps optimism leap to mind when one initially thinks of how love would align with the sun, the narration takes this comparison to much darker place, literally.
“The narration’s steady stream of metaphor and poetic pacing will most definitely test one’s tolerance of esoteric boundaries. There are tons of whispering poetic lines full of symbolism and contemplation in this film that are back-and-forth exchanges between the protagonist’s musings on escapism and transcendence and his newly found muse’s reinforcements of similar observations. Ultimately, the film seems to be marrying fantasy and reality and the transference of our daily existences into more elevated meanings than the fact that we just live and then we die. The part of the narrative grounded in reality serves as a backlight to prevent these otherworldly considerations as becoming mere shadows. Humankind’s affiliation with nature’s own persistence and other qualities is a large part of the vehicle to give existence more meaning.
“This is a complicated film in that it does have a trajectory and is not just empty musings, even though it reaches a point in the first half of the film that it might feel like that. It certainly tests the waters in how much leeway audiences will be willing to give the director before expecting a payoff. As such, different viewers will likely come out of this with polar opposite responses to it. It borders on esoteric gibberish at times, if not falling completely victim to this trap for some viewers. However, with patience and a willingness on the part of the viewer to actively dive in and chase the director’s vision, there is no question that this film does have visual links, edits, and motifs that unite the cause by the end. 3 cats out of 5
“Recommended for fans of subdued and contemplative storytelling
“Not recommended if you don’t have 90 minutes of spare time to tune out the world and immerse yourself.”