The Gentle Indifference of the World
After her father's untimely death, Saltanat is forced to trade her idyllic countryside life for the cruel city. She has to find money to pay off the large family debt that her father left behind, in order to save her mother from jail. Friends since their village childhood, her loyal, but penniless admirer Kuandyk follows her just to make sure his sweetheart is safe. Saltanat's uncle introduces her to a possible groom, who promises to pay off her family's debts. But Saltanat's hopes are dashed, when she discovers that the men in this city don't keep their word. When Kuandyk tries to help Saltanat get the money through other ways, he ends up finding himself in more trouble than he bargained for. Although life keeps dealing them bad hands, Saltanat and Kuandyk never give up, no matter what the odds.
_The Gentle Indifference of the World_ is a film of would-be lovers who make bad decisions made by people who do the same.
It's the only Kazakh film I've seen this year, yet it still isn't the best Kazakh film I've seen this year. You know you're in trouble when even the Parisian intellectuals stop chortling knowingly. The upside is it feels like it lasts twice as long as it really does, so you feel like you're getting your money's worth.