The border regions of Central Asian countries that are located adjacent to Afghanistan where massive amounts of drugs are produced, are hotspots for drug trafficking and organized crime. Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi places his narrative in that region, in the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, in order to present a film that highlights what is happening there but is also about love and friendship. “Deal at the Border” went away with three awards from FICA Vesoul, International Jury Prize, Marc Haaz Prize and the Guimet Museum Award.
Pickpocket is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
Aza and Samat are members of a drug trafficking ring, although they still have some way to go before they are accepted as proper members. One day, on the border, they run into Nazik, a young girl who has barely escaped human traffickers. Aza, for his own reasons, decides to give up the drug money and save Nazik, who tragically dies, while crossing a river. Expectedly, his actions bring both of them in trouble with their boss, Edil, who asks for an even more extreme mission in order to ‘excuse’ them and make them permanent members of the group. Aza, however, is determined to at least return Nazik’s remains to her homeland and asks the help of another girl from her village, Meerim, who is working in the city, and has her own set of problems.
If the presentation of the border area highlights what is going on there, with drug and human trafficking happening at the same time, the change of setting within Kyrgyzstan essentially provides the reason (not the justification) so many people turn to crime. Crime, corruption, violence, poorness and very little hope seem to lurk all over a place that looks as dystopian as possible, with the story essentially taking place mostly within rundown buildings.
The combination of the two rather different settings, the border and the urban, creates a very appealing antithesis throughout the movie, even adding to the main comment here, as despite their different premises, what is happening in both is not that different. Furthermore, the overall atmosphere Ryskeldi implements in the majority of the movie, with danger and a sense of enigma regarding the reasons for Aza’s actions, works particularly well, with the thriller aspect being probably the best in the whole film.
The narrative, however, falters somewhat as time passes, even if Aza’s reasons become more and more clear. Particularly the romance aspect between him and Meerim does not make much sense in the way it unfolds, with the finale of the movie essentially moving into tear-jerking, almost soapy territory. The kidnapping arc is also badly handled, while the scene by the river in the end could definitely have been better, with the brotherly love concept going too far, at least in its audiovisual depiction. Lastly, Jenishbek Smanov‘s acting as Edil is too theatrical for such a movie, with his performance looking disconnected from the rest of the cast.
On the other hand, Abylai Marat as Aza is impressive, with his laconic emoting essentially dictating the style of the movie. Omurbek Izrailov as Samat is also good, with his somewhat more vocal performance creating another appealing antithesis here.
In the end, “Deal at the Border” is a mixed bag of a film, since its flaws are significant and essentially match its traits. However, for the presentation of a life that is rarely witnessed on the big screen, the acting and the cinematography, the result definitely leans towards the positive side.
Bolsunbek Taalaibek Uulu’s cinematography is also great. The way he presents the urban setting as a claustrophobic one, particularly in the scenes in the basement of the gym and the office, and the border and rural one, as something more beautiful but equally dangerous, is truly impressive. His long shots in particular are bound to stay on the mind of any viewer. The editing results in a pace that is fittingly, relatively slow, although during the end, it picks up, in a way, though, that does not work well.
