Rustem ABDRASHEV Рустэм АБДРАШЕВ Roustem ABDRACHEV   Russia / Kazakhstan, 2008, 97 mn  Colour, fiction

The Gift to Stalin ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Подарок Сталину    Le Cadeau à Staline  Podarok Stalinu

---

---

Plot synopsis

This is a story of a man who survived from gruesome dark ages. Only thing he has left is the memories of his childhood. The director with future, Rustem Abdrashev and Kazakhstani outstanding actor, Nurzhuman Ikhtimbaev and Russia’s most representative screenwriter, Pavel Finn created a touching and dramatic epic. Kazakhstan in 1949, the times when the minorities were forced to move to Central Asia by former Soviet government, a Jewish kid named Sashka is on a train with his grandfather being deported with others. His grandfather dies on the train and he is dropped off with the body at a small village. He meets an old man, Kasym and stays with him. The village has various races and classes; nevertheless, all of them live in peace. But the tragedy is upon the village. Every villagers are killed and only Sashka survived.

 

---

Commentaries and bibliography

 

The title, The Gift to Stalin has two significances. In 1949, Soviet government carried out a nuclear test for anniversary of Stalin’s 70th birthday. Many innocent people fell the victims to the nuclear test. It turned out that Stalin gave his gift of death to the people. The other significance is about Sashka’s dream. He has a hope that if he gives Stalin a gift, he will be able to meet his parents again. Through the relationship between Sashka and Kasym, Rustem Abdrashev is showing the value of trust and hope that never change even during the most violent and the darkest days. The Gift to Stalin is multi-nationally produced. It was filmed in Kazakhstan, and Russia, Poland, Israel participated in its production. (KIM Ji-Seok)

---

Selected in the following festivals :

- Strasbourg two weeks of Russian cinema, Strasbourg (France), 2017

- Festival du cinéma russophone de la CEI, Paris (France), 2011

- Budapest Russian Film Week, Budapest (Hungary), 2011

- Marseille Russian Film Festival in Toursky, Marseille (France), 2010

- International Film Festival, Tbilisi (Georgia), 2010

- Film Festival Locarno, Locarno (Switzerland), 2010

- Aye Aye Film Festival Nancy-Lorraine, Nancy (France), 2009

- Vesoul International Asiatic Film Festival, Vesoul (France), 2009

- Festival of Central and Eastern Film , Wiesbaden (Germany), 2009

- International Film Festival Tarkovski, Ivanovo (Russia), 2009

- Belgrade International Film Festival, Belgrade (Serbia), 2009

- Russian Film Week in New York, New York (USA), 2009

- Busan International Film Festival : BIFF, Busan (Pusan) (Korea, South), 2008

- International Human Rights Film Festival, Moscow (Russia), 2008

- International Film Festival “The East and the West Classics and Avant-Guard”, Orenburg (Russia), 2008

---

Photos and videos

 

 

Your remarks