Archive

Chills from the Cold Land: Contemporary Russian Genre Films

Schizo

Guka OMAROVA

Russia / Kazakhstan / France / Germany2004 86min 35mm Color Korean Premiere

Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old ‘Mustafa,’ nicknamed ‘Schizo(schizoid personality),’ was living a spiritless life hired by his mother’s boyfriend to fix illegal fights. His life radically changes when he was asked by a fighter, mortally beaten, to meet his wife ‘Zinka.’ Despite his immaturity, he impulsively falls in love with her who now has a father-less son. Schizo is the first directorial debut of Guka OMAROVA, a protégé of Russian maestro Sergei Bodrov who contributed to this film as co-writer and co-producer. Through Mustafa’s innocent eyes, the ‘dirty and ugly’ Kazakhstan is no less than its reality in Omarova’s world of lifeless landscape and controlled music. Notable are the incredible performance of the main actor, Oldzhas NUSUPBAYEV, and OMAROVA's directing ability recognized by the Copenhagen International Film Festival. (LEE Hwa Jung)

Diretor

Guka OMAROVA

Born in Kazakhstan, 1968. She studied at Kazakh State University, journalist department and studied at The Academy of Arts in Almaty, Department of Documentary Film Directing in 1994-98. In '99, she directed short films That Heart of Mine. Her feature debut is Schizo.