Saratan provides a reality-jolting view of life in Kyrgyzstan in the post-Soviet era. Far from being stark and bleak however, it is quirky and engaging and provides rare insight into the lives of rural Kyrgyz people. Part social(ist) realism, part comedy and part voyeurist drama, the film moves from comic adventure to deep reflection, and offers viewers cinescapes and actors of the likes they may never have come across before.

Kyrgyzstan, fitted oddly between Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Urzbekistan is one of Central Asia’s poorest states. Indeed the village’s fear of starvation in the film is very real. Reliant on what they can grow and scavenge, and serviced by only one ‘shop’ – a small Kiosk stocked with vodka – life is an unstable struggle for survival. Yet, to the astonishment of many Westerners perhaps, life goes one ‘despite’ all of this. And what’s more, life is entertaining, varied and full of wit and wisdom.

The many characters of Saratan fill numerous, unexpected roles. There’s Baltabai, the village communist, who uses every available opportunity to flaunt his soap box socialism and incite the villagers to revolution. There is a Mayor who must remind the stricken villagers: “in former times, the money came from Moscow. We have none here.” Talamat, a thin boned cattle hustler, butchers sheep in his family bedroom. A nymphomaniac policeman causes many a scandal with local wives. And my favourite, Socialbek (yes, Socialbek), earnestly tries convert the local Muslims to the Jehovah Witness faith.

Dark and tragic themes are explored openly. Life destroying alcoholism, fuelled by vodka and a lack of self-worth, and so ever-present in the former USSR, is given its due part. Pervasive bureaucracy and corruption (“If you’re so important, why hasn’t anyone tried to bribe you?”) are features of all of the villager’s lives. And the oppression of women is a thread throughout; the most disturbing scene showing the use of rape as a tool of power.

Whilst too comedic to be the Once Were Warriors of Kyrgyzstan, and with too high a quota of pretty girls for such a small village to be complete social realism, Saratan is nonetheless a courageous and successful attempt to portray the multicoloured variety of ‘real life’ in one of today’s most fascinating parts of the globe.—Melody Nixon