A Kazakh Epic Gets Revived in the Trailer for The Fall of Otrar

      After its showing at last year's New York Film Festival, Ardak Amirkulov's little-known film The Fall of Otrar (restored in collaboration with Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project) will begin its theatrical release on August 1 at Film at Lincoln Center. In anticipation of Janus’ release (and its likely inclusion in a Criterion World Cinema Project set), a trailer featuring the striking restoration in sepia and color has been revealed.

      Here is the synopsis: “The Fall of Otrar, directed by Kazakh New Wave filmmaker Ardak Amirkulov, presents a captivating epic centered on one of history’s pivotal military conflicts. In the early 13th century, Genghis Khan seized Otrar, a significant city within the ancient Persian kingdom of Khwarazm, serving as a gateway to the West. This triumph marked the fierce warrior’s inaugural campaign outside traditional Mongol lands, initiating his nearly complete domination over Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Channeling the energetic pacing of Akira Kurosawa and the dreamlike beauty of Tarkovsky (enhanced by a skillful mixture of color, black-and-white, and sepia film stocks), Amirkulov portrays the lead-up to war through the perspective of Unjukhan (Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev), a bold Kipchak warrior striving to persuade Khwarazm’s leader (Tungyshpai Zhamankulov) of Khan’s impending invasion. As a former Mongol scout, Unjukhan understands Khan’s shrewdness and brutality; however, when his warnings are dismissed as insolence, he must flee from imprisonment to prevent an escalating diplomatic crisis and avert a clash of civilizations. With a sweeping scope that captures both the intricate nuances of palace intrigue and the horrifying reality of battlefield violence, The Fall of Otrar is a brilliant portrayal of the dramatic shifts in history—a gripping and electrifying experience for the senses.”

      See the preview and poster below: