Mavi Boncuk |
Russian Federation / Slovenia / Turkey 2022
Uzbek, Russian, Subtitles: English
106’
Colour
World premiere
In the back room of a small supermarket in suburban Moscow, a modest wedding is being celebrated. A harmonious community of immigrant workers, you might think. But Mukhabbat’s face looks troubled. The Uzbek is an illegal worker at “Produkty 24”. Despite being pregnant, she toils day and night in cramped conditions as a member of a pseudo-family of labourers under the iron rule of shop owner Zhanna. Those who disobey or even try to run away are brutally abused. Meanwhile, the police look the other way and even join in, helping themselves to anything in the shop – even the people – free of charge. But then, when not just Mukhabbat’s passport but the most important thing in her life is taken away from her, she decides to break free.
Michael Borodin’s debut feature film is a daring and alarming journey into that heart of darkness called modern slavery. As we accompany his reticent heroine from the claustrophobic gloom of the Russian metropolis to the white expanse of the director’s Uzbek homeland, the film turns from horror story into road trip, and shows us, at times surreally, the reality of life in the new Russia. It is based on the true case of the so-called “Golyanovo slaves” which came to light in 2016 and remains a thorn in the side of Russian justice and politics. This film could save lives.
With
Zukhara Sanzysbay (Mukhabbat)
Lyudmila Vasilyeva (Zhanna)
Tolibzhon Suleimanov (Bek)
Nargiz Abdullaeva (Zalina)
Asel Tuytubaeva (Mavlyuda)
Kamila Mukhlisova (Lola)
Lyubov Korolkova (Sveta)
Daniyar Artykbaev (Bakhrom)
Zukhra Ashurova (Gulnara)
Crew
Written and Directed by Michael Borodin
Cinematography Ekaterina Smolina
Editing Alexandra Putsyato
Music Aleksey Polyakov
Sound Igor Gladkiy
Production Design Vladislav Ogay
Costumes Olga Chelyapova, Timur Katkov
Make-Up Maria Tutukina, Elena Fokina
Casting Elina Ternyaeva
Assistant Director Elena Saprykina
Line Producer Maksim Dobromyslov
Creative Producer Julia Shaginurova
Producer Artem Vasilyev
Co-Producers Aleš Pavlin, Andrej Štritof, Diloy Gulun
Co-Production Karma Films, Istanbul
Perfo Production, Ljubljana
Produced by
Metrafilms, Moskau, Russian Federation
metrafilms.ru
Michael Borodin
Born near Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1987, he began making films when he was 18. In 2020, he moved to Moscow where, living as an illegal immigrant, he found work as a delivery guy and an odd-job man before finally having the chance to enrol in a film school there. After graduating, he went on to produce and direct commercials and music videos and founded his own production company, Sneg. His short film Normal screened in the Semaine de la Critique at Cannes.
Filmography
2017 Crimea Is Ours; short film 2018 Normal; short film 2019 Registration; short film 2022 Produkty 24 (Convenience Store)
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