kazakhstan offers the world its first blockbuster
Complete with epic battles, fancy camerawork and breath-taking stunts, "Nomad" could be the latest, blood-drenched historical blockbuster coming to a cinema near you ... from Kazakhstan.
In its bid to take on Hollywood, the film from the ex-Soviet Central Asian state boasts international stars, spectacular crowd scenes and a 33-million-dollar production budget. Versions in both the Kazakh language and in English will be released.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has made the film, which took two years to shoot, a pet project. Funding for "Nomad," which was shown for the first time on Monday at the opening of Almaty's second Eurasia International Film Festival, was funded almost entirely by the government and Kazakhfilm studios.
"Nomad" recounts the suffering of 18th century Kazakh tribes under attack from the blood-thirsty Dzhungar people.
That is until the young son of a tribal chief named Mansur -- played by Mexican actor
That is until the young son of a tribal chief named Mansur -- played by Mexican actor Kuno Becker -- manages to unite Kazakh clans and defeat the enemy. A real historical character, who lived from 1711-1781, Mansur later became known as Ablay Khan and remains Khazakstan's revered national hero.
"Nomad" follows Mansur's rise, amid a whirlwind of betrayals, revenge, beheadings and horseback stunts, all set against the wild steppes of Central Asia.
Kazakh authorities left nothing to chance to ensure the success of the project, and liberally tapped into Hollywood's pool of blockbuster specialists
The film, which was edited in Los Angeles, stars several action movie veterans, including Mark Dacascos and Jason Scott Lee. The executive producer is legendary film-maker Milos Forman , of "Amadeus" and "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" fame.
"Nobody thought that such a project was possible. Now, we can see how great the result is," said the film's producer, Los Angeles-based Ram Bergman.
It has been anything but a smooth ride for "Nomad," though. The shooting had to endure strikes by technicians, changes of filmmakers and capricious weather, causing repeated delays.
While Bergman said he was pleased with the result and confident of the film's chances, he admitted that additional scenes still had to be shot at the cost of a few more million dollars. Indeed, viewers here on Monday were only shown a working version.
Nevertheless, Bergman said: "Hopefully, the final version will be presented in Cannes next year. It would be the perfect place."
Hollywood also believes in the film, with Miramax studios having pledged 20 million dollars to distribute it in the United States, Canada and Britain.
