NATIVE DANCER (BAKSY) Showcase Kazakhstan

Co-written and produced by the Oscar-nominated Russian director Sergei Bodrov (MONGOL), this debut feature by Omarova collides two sensibilities-the rough-and -tumble nature of gangsters and the mysticism of witch doctors- in a conflict over a piece of real estate. The elderly and wise Aidai (Neisipkul Omarbekova, a real-life witch doctor) dispenses spiritual guidance, provides shelter, and heals the ill and lost souls. The land she lives on connects her to her spiritual powers, and she lives on it thanks to the generosity of Batir (Farkhat Amankulov ), a wealthy businessman w hose wife sought Adai’s help when they were tying to conceive . Lately, Batir has been under pressure to remove Aidai and develop the land. When she resists and then the gas station built by the gangsters on the land accidentally burns down, the Mob suspects Batir and retaliates by kidnapping his son. When Batir decides to pursue his son’s captors, NATIVE DANCER transitions from Aidai’s mystical fantasy world into the violent , high-octane world of organized crime. Richly shot on the vast plains of Kazakhstan, Omarova’s accomplished, sociologically infused enquiry reveals a culture and notion pulled between ancient tradition and the unstoppable forces of modern capitalist practice.