ByTowne ByTowne Cinema
ByTowne Cinema
325 Rideau St. Ottawa K1N 5Y4
Info Line: (613) 789-FILM
The Light Thief
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(Svet-Ake)
Official Entry (Kyrgyzstan) - Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
From Kyrgyzstan comes a modest but engaging fable about an electrician who is caught up in cultural changes and more sinister machinations that threaten the future of his already-poor village.
Given how often he endures near-deadly electrical shocks, it’ll be amazing if our hero sees any of that future. But this simple figure – played by The Light Thief’s director Aktan Arym Kubat, the most prominent figure in the central Asian nation’s small but hardy film scene – has an important role to play in the village’s fate, especially when there’s growing opposition to a business scheme favoured by the newly installed mayor.
Though The Light Thief would appear to fit neatly into the tradition of the small-town farce, its genial surface masks the darker nature of Arym Kubat’s film, which eventually reveals itself to be an allegory about Kyrgyzstan’s troubles in the face of various post-Soviet pressures and problems. So while the earthy humour gives the film plenty of charm – as does its portrayal of Kyrgyz traditions –there’s a more troubling side to this seemingly simple and eminently local story.
– Jason Anderson, Eye Weekly
This web site is very useful, but the hard copy of the ByTowne guide still has its merits. People rely on it and love it. Plus, its calendar pages can be pulled out and posted on your fridge door, something that we still can't achieve with the web site. Get your copy today at many local stores, coffee shops and info centres around town! 