Interview: Adilkhan Yerzhanov – The Gentle Indifference of the World

His sixth feature film in almost as many years, and second trip to the Croisette following in the footsteps of The Owners (2014), Kazakh helmer Adilkhan Yerzhanov once again criticizes the abuse of power and bureaucratic corruption in the post-Soviet East era. The Gentle Indifference of the World (read review) follows two young penniless villagers lovers, Saltanat and Kuandyk, who are obliged to leave their rural life for the big city for the sake of saving Saltanat’s mother from imprisonment.

With the use of fixed-angle long takes, striking use of natural landscape, creative sound effects and laconic poker-faced acting style certainly echoes the filmmaker’s previous works. Presented in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, I had the chance to sit with Yerzhanov (in this English and Kazakh interview) to find out what inspired the film, his reflections on love, the work method he employs with his actor set, the role that landscapes in his cinema and how it helps create his cinematic language.