Cinema
Legenda drevnikh gor
Yazgeldy Seidov · 1988
Synopsis
An old man climbs into the mountains with his grandson to catch a hunting bird. The creature proves more cunning than he had thought, and the chase becomes an ordeal: in trying to outwit it, the grandfather is himself caught in the trap. What was meant to be a lesson in skill for the boy becomes an education in manhood, made of the simple and lasting values of ordinary people.
Context
The film adapts a short story by Hudaýberdi Durdyýew, “Plus fort que les rochers”. The director co-wrote the screenplay with Vladislav Fedosseïev, with cinematography by Nikolaï Jiline and music by Danatar Hydyrow, for the Turkmenfilm studio. The story combines the hunt for the bird of prey with the passing down of knowledge from one generation to the next, a theme that its presenters link to the education of a man.
Who it is for
Seventy-six minutes, in colour; a hunting drama set against mountain landscapes, with no attested French version.
Prizes and reception
Cited by Argumenty i Fakty, on the director's death, among the notable films of a career of about thirty-eight titles.