Japan, Kazakhstan201984 minKazakh with English SubtitlesCanadian PremiereDrama, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
A cowardly horse robbery ends in murder, leaving a boy fatherless and his family in disarray. When the boy’s mother is forced to move the family out of their village, a mysterious man arrives who might be able to help restore order. What may appear to us as a “Western,” with its familiar framing of vast vistas and sublime steppes, is really a story about fractured families and survival in the wake of violence.
Inspired by true events, co-directors Yerlan Nurmukhambetov and Lisa Takeba join forces for a landmark Kazakhstan/Japan co-production, starring decorated actors Samal Yeslyamova and Mirai Moriyama. These disparate yet collaborative elements are able to make something familiar but fresh, an Asian “Western”, an art film that builds to a satisfying genre conclusion and culminates with an epilogue of renowned Kazakh artist Gali Myrzashev paintings. The Horse Thieves is an atmospheric treat. Watch it full-screen, volume up.
- Aram Siu Wai Collier
Samal Yeslyamova
Madi Minaidarov
Mirai Moriyama
Dulyga Akmolda
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Busan International Film Festival, 2019
Tokyo International Film Festival, 2019
Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2020
Yerlan Nurmukhambetov, Lisa Takeba
Lisa Takeba is a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for Haruko’s Paranormal Laboratory (2015) and The Pinkie (2014). Yerlan Nurmukhambetov is a director and writer known for Walnut Tree (2015) and The First Rains of Spring (2011).
12 Nov, 2020 10:00 am
to 19 Nov, 2020 11:59 pm
14A
Ticket holders can watch Reel Asian Programmer June Kim's conversation with directors Yerlan Nurmukhambetov and Lisa Takeba on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
A right-wing government controls Quebec, closing its borders and pushing immigrants to leave. Widower Hiên lives a meager life running a dépanneur. Enticed by his daughter Phuong’s move to Vietnam, Hiên makes arrangements to leave everything behind. But when a neighbourhood boy is left under the temporary care of Phuong’s aimless Quebecois boyfriend, Hiên is driven to solve the mystery of the boy’s missing mother.
Students at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music gather for the start of the school day. They laugh, practice, and take tests while preparing for a concert celebrating 100 years of Afghanistan's independence. Ranging from five-year-olds to young adults, some are middle-class kids and others are orphans, and they come from Afghanistan's many ethnic groups.
Down a Dark Stairwell takes a nuanced and careful look at the events following the 2014 case where Akai Gurley was shot and killed in the stairwell of an apartment building by Chinese-American NYPD officer Peter Liang. This opening night presentation is followed by a panel discussion with ASL support and accompanied by an active listening service. Available only in Ontario for a limited time. Winner of The Truth to Power Award, Reel Asian 2020.
Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian and Asian diasporic artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
