Kazakh film to feature French movie star Gerard Depardieu

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KAZAKHSTAN — On August 31, French film actor Gerard Depardieu arrived in Shymkent, the administrative centre of Southern Kazakhstan. On September 1, he was in the Tyulkubas district where filming began on a new Kazakh movie with the working title, Late Love, a joint project of Kazakhfilm Studio and Tanaris Film Company.

Cinematographers from France, Kyrgyzstan and Russia will be involved in shooting the film, a story of the lives and feelings of three elderly friends who grew up in the same Kazakh village. One of them is a German by nationality and will be played by Depardieu.

Screenplay writer Sergey Azimov, a well-known Kazakh film director, described Late Love as a film about the timeless themes of love, friendship and loneliness, and about how love does not diminish over the years. Azimov stated that this is Depardieu's first role in a Kazakh film. In his opinion, working with the great artist will boost the Kazakh film industry and attests to the maturity of Kazakh cinematic art.

The French actor's professional and personal contacts with the Kazakh director were an important factors in his agreeing to star in the film. Depardieu met Azimov during his first trip to Almaty in September 2007 for the 4th Eurasian International Film Festival, when Azimov was the Director of Kazakhfilm. Depardieu said he was drawn to Kazakhstan by the films that Azimov is making.

Bakhytgul Niyazgul, the film's assistant director, stated that Depardieu will be in South Kazakhstan for ten days. Filming is to be completed by mid-October and Late Love will be released next year.