On October 30, the premiere of the documentary film "Kazakhs of the Chinese Altai" took place within the walls of our university. The film introduced viewers to the life and culture of ethnic Kazakhs living in Eastern China, their way of life and traditions, which they carefully preserve far from their historical homeland. The author and director of the film Madina Ashilova, together with the film crew of the Turan TV channel, went on an exclusive auto expedition, laying a route from the Chinese-Mongolian border in the east to the border of Kazakhstan and China in the west.
Madina is a mother of many children who made a round-the-world car trip. "Kazakhs of the Chinese Altai" is not her first attempt at cinema. In 2023, she took part in the creation of the film "Xinjiang. Life of Ethnic Kazakhs", in which she explored the life of Kazakhs in the province. As Vice-Rector for Strategic Development Dana Kunanbayeva noted, “China and Kazakhstan are close neighbors, true friends and partners,” and the film provides an opportunity to see how the Kazakh diaspora preserves its unique culture in China.
The film consists of many stories from residents of the Chinese Altai, immersing viewers in the daily life and traditions of the Kazakhs. It also introduces the region’s impressive sights. For example, in the Stone Park, the place where fire is believed to have been first ignited, viewers see stone constructions resembling animal silhouettes and human profiles. The narrative conveys the atmosphere through stories, such as the scene of the Kurban Ait celebration: the whole family gathers around a table set with traditional dishes such as Yet, reminiscent of beshbarmak. Together with local residents Bagdagul, Gulila and her daughter Zhaidan, we are introduced to the art of embroidery, passed down from generation to generation. Timurgav shows the secrets of making skis, which were used in the distant past for hunting. The Aitbol family, who own a herd of more than 6,000 camels, spends evenings in a yurt, maintaining contact with the traditional way of life. And the famous musician of the city of Shengel - Aksayuly impresses with the sound of traditional Kazakh instruments - kobyz, dombra and shankobyz, conveying the unique flavor of Kazakh music.
In just 45 minutes, the film covers only a small part of the history and culture of the Kazakhs of Altai, but its content and depth impressed the audience. After the screening, the audience broke into applause, and shared their impressions from the stage, noting that despite the differences between the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan and China, they still remain one people and speak the same language. Special thanks for the film were expressed by the Consul General of the PRC in Almaty, Ms. Jiang Wei, and the director of the Turan TV channel, Roman Botabekov. They noted the importance of such projects for strengthening cultural ties and mutual understanding between peoples, and for students - the opportunity to realize themselves in our country and travel.
Madina Ashilova has done a great job, and her film can rightfully be called a real treasure trove of Chinese Kazakh culture. We wish her new successes and further discoveries!
.png)
