THE STORY – Following an old nomadic tradition ‘bauryna salu’, a boy Yersultan, was given after his birth to be raised by his grandmother. When he turns twelve, his grandmother dies and he has to move back with his family which he barely knows.
THE CAST – Yersultan Yermanov, Aydos Ayesbaev & Bigaisha Salkynova
THE TEAM – Askhat Kuchinchirekov (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 113 Minutes
It can be an incredible experience to revisit the experiences of youth and track how such important events come to shape a life. It’s why coming-of-age stories can hold so much power. They are methods of understanding how the foundations of adulthood are formed, finding what may have seemed like trivial moments to shed light on a profound sense of humanity that comes burgeoning forward in the ensuing years. What’s most fascinating about this concept is that while it can hold a universal sensibility, there are also so many individualistic viewpoints that can be cast. A variety of cultures and environments can give a unique perspective on this process, leading to the same recognizable emotions while also crafting an intriguing analysis. “Bauryna Salu” dives into a society with its own particular practices and emerges with a compelling study on grappling with the tumultuous emotions of youth.
The film’s namesake derives from a Kazakhstani tradition mostly practiced in small villages, where a family’s first-born child is given away at birth to be raised by their grandparents. It’s an old custom that now sees young Yersultan (Yersultan Yermanov) as an unwilling participant. Now 12 years old, his time is filled by either helping his grandmother (Bigaisha Salkynova) in her menial tasks or gathering salt deposits as a means of employment with a group of other boys. His mission is to save enough money to return to his family and be reunited with them after so many years away. However, grave news has just been given to him when he’s informed of his grandmother’s sudden death. But the reunion is not all that Yersultan had hoped it would be. The emotional distance between him and his family is vast, particularly from his resentful father (Aidos Auesbay), who strains to connect with a child he’s barely seen and is not adept at the new living conditions. The tensions only worsen as time goes on, with a volatile confrontation between the parties impossible to avoid.
The events depicted are not only rooted in real-life practice. Still, they are also inspired by events that director Askhat Kuchinchirekov – who was also given away at a young age by his family – experienced. That personal experience, more than likely, is what makes the perspective feel so textured and intimate, with the frame of reference feeling incredibly tailored to a child’s viewpoint. The slice of life depicted is a simple one at first, but it shows the pure joys that can come from the small moments in a boy’s life. Whenever Yersultan can escape his confines and enjoy the camaraderie with his local friend, this showcases an adorable kinship that informs this quiet existence. The work he does to assist his grandmother is laborious, but there is still an endearing quality. The filmmaking presents a stark environment full of vibrant emotion, made even more devastating when it all comes crashing down, and the bleakness is overwhelming.
That abrupt shift is sincerely felt upon the grandmother’s passing. At that point, the emotions become raw, and the more idyllic setting of this remote yet lively village is traded for a snowy atmosphere that is just as cold as these newly discovered relationships. The arising conflict has shades of nuance, though it mostly sticks to predictable arcs that can be easily plotted. This can sometimes contribute to a tedious sense of momentum, worsened by what seems like endless shots of repetitive action that grows tiresome after a certain point. While it’s meant to establish the tone, the pacing suffers, as does the overall envelopment into this world. The film reaches an effective catharsis at its climax, but it is a labored journey to arrive there. Despite some impactful characterization, the narrative can slightly meander and blunt the potential to become a more powerful exercise.
For any part of this story to work, it is necessary for the central performance to not only be strong but also believable within the fabric of this environment. Fortunately, Yermanov delivers an engrossing turn as the lead character, able to convey such a naturalistic aura as a boy going through such painful hardship. He embodies the grounded persona of a typical child trying his best to thrive, but it can also be quite devastating when he must showcase the agonizing emotional state from so much loss. The overwhelming sorrow plastered across his face when his grandmother dies is a haunting display, and the further inward he retreats once realizing how fractured he is within his family’s dynamics is also absorbing. Credit is also due to Auesbay for never supplying histrionics and choosing instead for quiet disdain, which is successfully unnerving. Even Salkynova has an alluring presence as a maternal figure whose warmth is undercut by an acidic ambiance. The ensemble is noteworthy but always at the service of its lead.
It would have been easy for “Bauryna Salu” to be overtaken by its social messaging and allow that tactic to drown out the more focused character study at hand. In reality, it isn’t an overplayed thematic commentary that is the film’s biggest detriment. Instead, the numerous sequences of monotony halt the momentum and enforce a more banal experience. Fortunately, there are enough instances where the film can overcome this plight, finding rich material to mine, which exposes a tortured soul who now must accept the violently changing circumstances around him. It is a poignant examination built off the foundation provided by an enthralling performance that constantly keeps one engaged through a harrowing yet touching venture.
