If celestial and divine are two possible synonyms of Heavenly, they also are subtly nuanced approaches to a twofold appreciation of this first Kyrgyz feature-length film. In the film, celestial designates the broad semantic field of poetic altitude and its magnetic power over the tribe – the vast spaces, the ancestral rock, wild nature – whereas divine distinguishes more the magical and mysterious character of the traditional legends and ethnographic details subtly revealed throughout our encounter with a multi-generational family. The precision of Mirlan Abdykalykov’s mise en scène, simple and effective, is enhanced by the flawless treatment of the landscapes, which fixes the film in suspended time to highlight the wonder of nomadic life.
While it can be seen as a tribute to people and traditions whose rarity borders on disappearance, Sutak (the original film title, which also means “eagle”) is also a dreamlike evocation of the conflict between tradition and modernity.
Guillaume Mainguet
