Queen of the Mountains
The relevant epic story of the strong-willed, courageous and independent woman before her time, Kurmanjan, who is revered to this day for her diplomacy for saving her nation from complete destruction when the Russians invaded.
Director:
Sadyk Sher-NiyazStars:
Elina Abai Kyzy, Nasira Mambetova, Aziz Muradillayev|Storyline
The historical, epic drama, set in 19th century Central Asia, tells the true story of Kurmanjan Datka, a strong willed woman, who becomes the ruler of her country and saves the nation from total destruction. As a young woman she is forced into an arranged marriage but escapes, flees to the mountains and falls in love with the local chief Alymbek, whom she marries. When he is killed by political rivals, she becomes the "queen of the mountains" and a key figure and negotiator in the national struggle, when the Russians invade.
User Reviews
Americans Will Love This Film
With stunning applicability today, this film portrays a freedom- loving people and their amazing leader struggling nobly to survive Russian imperialism in the late 1800s. But that is not the primary reason for American audiences to appreciate this movie. Skillfully produced entirely in Kyrgyzstan by Kyrgyz filmmakers, it is a powerful, fascinating, gorgeous, and inspiring historical epic about an extraordinary woman—Kurmanjan Datka, Queen of the Mountains—who led the nomadic Kyrgyz people for decades with remarkable wisdom, character, and strength in the midst of great national and personal challenges. The story offers a deeply cultural and transcendently moving experience to every viewer of any nationality. As a leader, Kurmanjan Datka succeeded in ways unmatched by other Kyrgyz rulers, yet the problematic influences and results of her era in history leave the Kyrgyz people still seeking consistent foundational principles for peace, stability, unity, prosperity, and true freedom. This film brilliantly highlights both the leadership qualities and the unresolved questions that remain important to Kyrgyz people, and instructive to Americans, even today.
