The Horse Thieves, Roads of Time

Everything in Yoni’s life is complicated. He is nearly 13 years old and Olzhas, 12 years old, is the eldest son of a family that lives in the foothills of the Tian Shan, the large mountain range that spans Central Asia. Their close knit family life is interrupted when a gang of horse thieves steal the herd which belongs to the village. In order to pay off their debt, the family has to sell their house. One day, a stranger turns up. He asks to meet Olzhas and offers to help them move... In fabulous scenery, the film portrays Olzhar’s transition from childhood to adolescence through his association with the mysterious man who accompanies him on the road.

“I transposed this story to post-Soviet Kazakhstan, a period during which our society went through enormous disruption and when people seemed to consider human life worthless. The search for truth can help to overcome indifference and darkness. But what truth are we referring to when there are no moral laws? These are questions that Olzhas, whose childhood is interrupted by the death of his father, asks himself. Olzhas is helpless, but can he find someone or something to rely on in his new life?” Yerlan Nurmukhambetov