About Mannequin
Special Screening
Followed by Q&A
40 min | Drama | 2024 | Kazakhstan | No Dialogue | English Subs
Synopsis:
In the gripping and haunting thriller About Mannequin, a young family's ordinary day takes a dark turn when they stumble upon a peculiar bridal shop. Beautiful and vibrant wife and mother, Aya (played by Ayanat Yesmagambetova), is drawn to a stunning but cursed wedding dress that sets off a chain of tragic events. As the family's patriarch, Salim (played by Sanjar Madi), grows increasingly suspicious of the enigmatic shop owner, Armand (played by Armand Boranbayev), Aya's fascination with the dress deepens. However, the dress's malevolent influence proves to be deadly, leading the family into a spiral of events that test their bonds and reality itself. Mannequin is a harrowing exploration of fate, loss, and the chilling power of the unknown, blurring the lines between dreams and nightmares.
Schedule
Nov 18, 2024 | 07:30 PM
Director
Aruzhan Dosymkozha
Aruzhan Dosymkozha was born in western Kazakhstan on December 25, 1999. Dreaming of a career in filmmaking since childhood, she enrolled at Turan University to study film and television directing, graduating in 2022. Since her first year in 2017, she has worked on film sets as a first assistant director and production designer. By 2021, she transitioned into producing and has since produced two feature-length auteur films. Her debut as a line producer, "Madina" (directed by Aizhan Kassymbek), premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival in 2023. In 2022, Aruzhan as a producer won the Kazakhcinema, Kazakhstan National Film Funding with their film "Joqtau." It is premiering on Locarno film festival on august 16, 2024. Her first short film as a director, which garnered numerous nominations and one award (Up-and-coming film festival, Hannover, Germany - the best international movie) is "Aliya." (2021) Her second short film, "The Burden We Bear," was published on the Hyperborean YouTube channel in January 2023 and has 30,000 views. (2023) Her third short film, "About Mannequin," created by a film company from the USA “Foresee FIlms”, is currently released and showing in USA city premiers (2024).
Credits
Director:
Aruzhan Dossymkozha
Executive Producer:
J. Carr Bettis
Maira Karsakbayeva
Producer:
Anuar Yessirkepov
Ayanat Ksenbai
Marvin Peart
Cast:
Sanjar Madi
Ayanat Ksenbai
Arman Boranbayev
Screenwriters:
Ayanat Ksenbai
Giorgi Rtskhiladze
