Céline Roustan
The story of a young professor giving her final class, packing her apartment and having one last party with her friends before leaving the country, we welcome writer/director Zhannat Alshanova (Paola Makes A Wish) back to S/W with her latest short History of Civilization. Not unlike her previous film, this simple yet effective storyline follows the internal journey of her protagonist as she listens to the reactions to her big decision.
With this film, Alshanova proves once more the strength of both her writing and directorial skills, as her ability to take such modest stories and make them so wonderfully compelling on screen is nothing short of impressive. When we asked what prompted her to pen this story, she candidly shared that the inspiration came from her own experience, having changed countries multiple times. Adding that she hoped to explore migration in a way that we aren’t used to seeing, she chose to avoid socio-economical aspects and instead focused on “personal reasons and the emotional journey of the young woman who has decided to leave her homeland”.
Indira at a party with some of her students
The uncomplicated nature of the narrative allows that aforementioned emotional journey to be seen from a different angle, as we witness the main character processing her imminent departure. Not only does she have to internally deal with the decision she’s made, but she’s also continually confronted by everyone else’s unsolicited comments, often delivered with more than a hint of judgment. Ultimately, she is left alone with her decision and the camera echoes that sentiment by showing her either on her own or isolated. The cinematography, by DP Leandro Ferrao, also works to show just how mundane moving can be, packing boxes endlessly. The emotional journey she experiences is definitely palpable through the visual flair of the film.
Present in almost every single shot, it came as a surprise when Alshanova told us that it was Akmaral Zykaeva’s first time in front of the camera. Her portrayal of Indira is remarkably compelling, as she expertly navigates the complexity of her character and in particular her reactions to the people questioning her decision to leave. Her performance definitely carries the film, and although very brief, her chemistry with on-screen partner Aidar Alimbayev (also a non-professional actor) was quite sizzling and rounded up the narrative on a surprisingly empowering note.
History of Civilization won the Pardino d’argento award at Locarno, followed by selections at TIFF, Hamptons and Clermont-Ferrand. Alshanova is currently developing two feature projects: Mother Tongue, which won the ARTE development award at the Asian Project Market and A Winner is Seen at the Starts, which won three awards at the When East Meets West co-production forum.