Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Director
One of the most idiosyncratic and prolific directors to emerge from Central Asia in the 21st century, Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s films provide an offbeat, empathetic, and satirical view on modern Kazakhstan. A graduate of the Kazakh National Academy of Arts, his early films – including The Constructors (2013) and The Owners (2014) – established his minimalist, non-professional approach to satire, inspired by the likes of Ari Kaurismaki and Jim Jarmusch. Yerzhanov has since amassed 14 features in 12 years, expanding his repertoire to genre fare and romance. He has twice premiered at Cannes (with The Owners and The Gentle Indifference of the World in 2018) and won the Best Director award at the 2019 Asia Pacific Screen Awards for A Dark, Dark Man.
