Sama Brighton Film Festival: Bauryna Salu + Q&A with Producer  Dias Feld

Closing the inaugural Sama Brighton Film Festival during Refugee Week 2026, this special screening is a rare chance to experience one of the most acclaimed contemporary films from Kazakhstan - a powerful coming-of-age story about family, identity and belonging. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director and a community celebration to close the festival.

Bauryna Salu/ Dir. Askhat Kuchinchirekov/ (Kazakhstan, 2023)/ 113mins/ Film subtitled/ 12A

According to the ancient nomadic tradition of “bauryna salu”, Yersultan is given away as a baby to be raised by his grandmother, growing up largely disconnected from his birth parents. When his grandmother dies unexpectedly as he turns 12, Yersultan is forced to return to a family he barely knows. Struggling to build a relationship with his parents - especially his father - while navigating the turbulence of adolescence, he finds himself caught between duty, grief and the search for belonging.

Supported by Chalk Cliff Trust and Enjoolata Foundation.