Jewish Mothers of Kazakh Cinema

The Khazars’ iron grip on movie industry has been distinctly felt even in such a remote part of the world as Kazakhstan. No doubt, blood relations would strengthen this bond still further. Let’s review several tell-tale examples of personal and business ties between the Kazakhs and the Khazars in the field of cinema.

Russian film director Timur Bekmambetov was born in Western Kazakhstan. His Kazakh father was a power plant’s manager and his Khazar mamele was a journalist. Mr. Bekmambetov is an affluent moviemaker, whose TV commercials for a Russian bank lavishly featured historical themes. His subsequent film productions have included sci-fi and horror movies, starring even a Hollywood queen Angelina Jolie. But, above all, this Russian-speaking artist with Kazakh background has cherished his Khazarian heritage. Pictured above, Mr. Bekmambetov’s visiting a synagogue in Kazan, Tatarstan, 2021.

The wealthy film director’s compatriot and friend Bakhyt Kilibayev was born in 1958. His Kazakh father, as well as his Khazar mamele, were KGB officers. Although, financially Mr. Kilibayev has fared modestly comparing with Mr. Bekmambetov, the KGB’s son of a gun has proved to be more successful in terms of creativity. The Needle, 1988, whose screenplay he coauthored, was a Soviet box-office hit about drug dealers. In the mid-1990s, Mr. Kilibayev produced iconic TV commercials of MMM — Russia’s most notorious Ponzi scheme.

Of course, the KGB’s son of a gun also has promoted fellow Khazars to the best of his ability. For example, a Russian Jewish actress Alika Smekhova starred in two Kazakh movies codirected by Mr. Kilibayev: a thriller Woman of the Day, 1989, and a hard-boiled detective The Mite, 1990. Moreover, a Kazakh actress Zhanna Kuanysheva, who was his childhood KGB neighbour, also starred in the latter feature film. Incidentally, Ms. Kuanysheva reportedly had a Jewish grandmother. Mr. Kilibayev currently resides in Almaty, discreetly distancing himself from both Russian and Middle Eastern calamities. Thus, both literally and artistically he once again proved to be much closer to the Kazakh homeland than the markedly global Mr. Bekmambetov.

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