Aktan Arym Kubat
Director
Aktan Arym Kubat (b. 1957) – sometimes known by the Russified version of his name, Aktan Abdykalykov – is a Kyrgyz director, screenwriter, and actor. He was born and raised in Kuntu, a small village from which he draws artistic inspiration and where he still resides. He grew up fascinated by the Russian and Indian films shown in the small theatre in Kuntu and knew his calling from a young age. He is known as the auteur that put Kyrgyz cinema on the map: his breakout film Beshkempir was released shortly after Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union and is now regarded as one of Asian cinema’s greatest pieces.
