The Universe of Manas

Overview

For Kyrgyz director Melis Ubukeyev, making a full-length feature film of the Kyrgyz national epic Manas was a lifelong dream. He spent years working with the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan to gather material for the project, which ultimately never came to be. His efforts, though, were not in vain. He made several documentaries about manaschis, the revered oral performers who have preserved the epic for generations through melodic recitation, and in 1995, to mark the 1,000th anniversary of ‘Manas’, he made this captivating essay film, which recounts the epic’s sweeping narrative through breathtaking imagery and opulent costumes, weaving it into a semi-documentary exploration of Kyrgyz history and identity. Ubukeyev wrote, directed and narrated the film himself; it would be his last, as he died only a year later. Once almost impossible to find, the film was digitally restored by the Kyrgyzfilm studio and released in 4K on the studio’s YouTube channel in February 2023.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

December 31, 1995

Original language

Russian

Spoken languages

Kirghiz, Russian

Countries

Kyrgyz Republic

Production

Kyrgyzfilm

Cast

Melis Ubukeyev,Gulnara Chokubaeva,Shaabai Azizov,Bolot Beyshenaliev,Tokon Daiyrbekov,Marat Zhanteliev,Asanbek Kydyrnazarov,Asankul Osmonov,Edilbek Chokubaev,Asel Eshimbekova

Director

Melis Ubukeyev

Writer

Melis Ubukeyev,Chinghiz Aitmatov,Raisa Kydyrbaeva,Lev Gumilev,Aron Brudny,Vladimir Mokrynin,Shaabai Azizov

Cinematography

Tynai Ibragimov

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

View on IMDb