THE GIFT TO STALIN
Dir. Rustem Abdrashev (95min, Kazakhstan/Russia, 2008)
In Russian, Kazakh and Hebrew with English Subtitles
Narrative

Set against the sweeping beauty of the Kazakh steppes, Gift is the heartwarming tale of a young orphaned Jewish boy who is sent into exile during a Stalinist purge, but saved by a gruff older Muslim. Gorgeously photographed, the film exhibits the kind of charm that critics have compared to Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino.

Followed by a presentation from the Kairat Umarov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the US