Eldar Shibanov is a writer and director. In 2010, he co-founded a family production company and started directing films. Together with his mother, Yuliya Levitskaya, and brother, Dias Shibanov, Eldar creates films about the absurdity of everyday life. His short “Sex, Fear and Hamburgers” (2018) was screened at Venice Film Festival.
Sanjar was born on August 4, 1986, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. His first high profile role was in the movie The Tale of a Pink Bunny (Skaz o Rozovom Zaitse), where he performed a tycoon's naughty and spoilt son. At the same time, he kept studying filmmaking on his own. In 2010, he directed a Christmas show for the national TV channel; the show was done in a style of the Oscar award ceremony, and according to the various sources, ranked the first – second places in charts. In May 2011, Kazakhfilm Studios sent him to New York Film Academy in Los Angeles to study film directing. In November 2011, he returned to LA to continue studying in acting. Shortly before this, he started shooting in the movie Phantom Hunt in which Sanjar starred with such Hollywood guest actors as Kristanna Loken and Armand Assante.
Young Esil Amantay performs for the first time in “Mountain Onion”
On the occasion of “Mountain Onion” screening at Red Sea International Film Festival, we sat with them in two groups, first with the director and then the two actors and we spoke about the story of the movie, their experiences on the set, the casting, weird haircuts, and other topics
Mountain Onion screened at Red Sea International Film Festival
Please tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the movie and how you come up with the story.
I had location scouting near the border with China and I saw this person just selling something on the street, and I realized it was mountain onion, which they collect during the spring and sell it to tourists and passerbys. That was the first inspiration, and during that trip I saw this three person family, mom dad and kid, who rode a small bike. I thought they were happy because it is spring and they are riding altogether, but later on I thought that may not be that happy, that maybe they have some problems, and that is how the idea for the divorce was born.
How did the idea about the sex scene that begins the move come about, the one with the truck driver and the kid's mother?
It was created during the workshop in Bienale Cinema College and we also did a script lab by Unesco and with my mother, Juliya Levitskaya, who is my co-writer and producer, developed that story. And the idea with the viagra came by her, how they thought that viagra makes people strong, after they heard it on an advert.
How difficult was it having a kid as a protagonist? Was it difficult directing him?
Not so, because he is brilliant. It was a great pleasure to work with the kids. We did a casting audition for two months two find the kids and our casting director helped us do it. When we were in search for the location for the shooting and we found the perfect place for the film at the hill and the step area. We figured our main character lives right there in the village because he is not from the city and later we realised that he was also from that area, so it was perfect. He also did acting classes, so maybe that's why it was amazing to work with him, but he's also very talented. He is open-minded because he doesn't have a lot of the stereotypes taht the film is about, the sex or gender.
Does it take patience to work with the kids?
Sometimes yes, but most of the times they're like professional adults. So they worked perfectly, specially the main kids, the girl and the boy.
Now that you mentioned it, can you tell me a bit about the casting?
It was an interesting experience because we had such a short time to make a film because we received a grant, we became a finalist at Bienalle cinema college in December, and later on, we had two months to find the casts and we had to shoot in the spring so that is why we did not have that much time to find actors, so it was tough. On the set, though, it was amazing, because all of them were focused on the story and they tried to develop the characters. They prepared with make-up artist, hairstylist and concept designer who created the haircut for the kid so he would appear as a native of that area.
Was Esil ok with that haircut?
(laughs) Not at all! I did expect that, but after the last day of shooting, he cut off that hair. However, we had to call him the next day because we had a photoshoot for the poster and other promotion. But he had cut his hair so we did the shoot with a hat and later used a still from the film and put it on the poster.
Were the scenes with the one motorcycle difficult to shoot?
Yeah, it was a horrible thing because the production designer and prop artist had to find the exact motorcycle that works well because half the film happens on the bike. On the second day of shooting it started to break down. But we had already captured half of the opening scenes so it wasn't easy to figure it out. We had one person who just was focused on that motorcycle and push it so that it would start to work on set before the shooting.
That must have taken many takes for those scenes then.
Right, yeah! In some scenes, we just put the sound of the engine starting in post production and put it out of the frame.
Can you tell me a bit about the locations where the film was shot?
It's an area not far from my home city Almaty in the south of Kazakhstan. It's a hilly and mountain area but also on one side, there's steps. We spent a lot of time to find that place for where the story happens and these bright green hills were right.
Did you shoot in China as well or just Kazakhstan?
No, we started to make the film during the pandemic and there were a lot of restrictions. China was closed totally, so our set designers recreated China in Kazakhstan. But it's close and we have small districts and some markets where Chinese people work.
I watched a lot of Kazakh movies lately and you have this strange sense of humour in your movies. Please tell me a bit about that.
We tried, because our life has a lot of absurd things, absurds of everyday life. So I tried to reflect it because you do some strange things which you think is right. It's a comedy because I wanted to make a feel-good movie to show the other side of Kazakhstan. There's a lot of strong, heavy drama films from the country but I wanted to show the bright side. That's why you also see the bright colours which the DOP created. I like that you mentioned it has a strange, absurd humour. That's amazing.
Did you laugh while you were shooting?
Yes, a lot. Especially during the rehearsals, because of the kids.
How was your experience, first time in a movie? Did you enjoy it?
Esil: Yes, I was very nervous at the beginning because it was my first time outside of my country Kazakhstan and it was my first flight and first time in a foreign country. But after yesterday's screening, where I watched the film for the first time, a lot of people came to me and were cheering me up and that made me happy now.
Are you planning to be an actor in the future then?
Esil: (enthusiastically) Yeah!
Did you like your haircut in the movie?
Esil: (laughs) I didnt know they were gonna cut my hair like this. Previously, they told me to draw my hair. I had huge hair. Then, the makeup artist came and cut my hair down and I was like “wow, that was unexpected!” But it was fun and then I had to return to the haircut because they wanted me to do the photoshoot and my hair had grown by then, so I had to return to the haircut.
Can you tell me a bit about your part in the movie and what you liked about the character?
Sanjar: That was fun because the director called me and said we have a script and we are going to show (the film) worldwide. So I didn't ask him what kind of character I would be playing etc. He told me we had two characters, the father of the kid and the truck driver, and I asked him who he thought I should be. He said he thought I should be the truck driver and I was like, “alright, let's go”. I thought that for a truck driver, I should be rougher, bigger or stronger but the director said this was not gonna be an ordinary truck driver, he's gonna have to dance the folk dance. I went, “whoa, stop it right there because if the truck drivers are going to watch the movie, they will kill me.” (laughter)
But anyway, it was fun. It's a very intimate story between the family, the person that's in love with the woman and surrounds the kids, so I think it's romantic in some way and I love that character. He's very arrogant, kinda like Jack Sparrow.
So would you go out for a drink with your character and be friends with him?
Sanjar: (laughs) Definitely!
And how was your cooperation with the kids? Did you have any difficulties and did you enjoy it?
Sanjar: I know that there are two persons very hard to work with in movies, animals and kids. But these guys, him and the girl, were amazing. They did everything they were asked for. The girl is a little bit naughty, as is he, but it was a honour to work with. They were so natural, so authentic. I was like, “these guys are playing better than me”.
And Esil, how was your cooperation with the rest of the cast?
Esil: At the beginning, I didn't know who Sanjar Madi was and knew only the actor that played my father because I used to watch some tv serials. I thought he was a beginner like me. So we had a connection. But after I found out that he was a professional actor, I was so shocked and after a few days of shooting, I became friends with the other actor truck drivers and the other crew and I felt absolutely comfortable on set.
Would you be friends with your character?
Esil: Yes.
And the girl? Would you be friends with her?
Esil: Yes.
What was the hardest part of the shooting?
Esil: There was a scene when I was being hit by the door of the truck. I was so afraid because I didn't know what was going to happen, if they're going to hit me in real or where I was gonna fall down if I was gonna fall, because I didn't know what was happening behind me. I was so nervous about that because I didn't know if actors are hit in real and if I should fall down like a real person would or how would we continue shooting if I had an injury. But after two shots, the scene was done. I thought that was cool and I thanked the director.
So you weren't in pain in the end?
Esil: No, no.
What was the hardest part for you during the shooting?
Sanjar: For me, the hardest part was the sex scene with the character of the mother because that day was freaky cold and I was only in my underpants. There were freezing winds, rain and a little snow and I had to jump from the truck with a metal stick I found inside. I was running around the truck and we shot it dozens of times because it was raining and we had to stop for it, then shoot again and so on. I was freezing cold and I think that was my hardest scene.
What was your favourite scene?
Esil: The end of the movie where the whole family is together and the happy ending was my favourite scene and moment.
Sanjar: Also the same, the end. *redacted for spoilers*
