The Sculpture

Directed by
Qambar Beibituly Qaidar

A young man named Zhangir decides to sell an ancient dombra to the National Museum for 30 million tenge, which was passed down to him by his grandfather as a sacred family heirloom. To justify the sale to the buyers, he blatantly lies about his grandfather’s illness and claims the instrument belonged to their great ancestor, the famous musician Tattimbet. His sister Sezim discovers the deceit and tries to reason with him, reminding him that the heirloom is a sacred heritage belonging to their entire family, but Zhangir ignores her and signs an irreversible sales contract. While celebrating the deal, he cynically tells his friends that he does not believe in karma, divine power, or ancestral curses for desecrating family memories. However, during an interrogation, investigator Khrustalev reveals that the dombra is a fake and that Zhangir’s legend was nothing but a cynical manipulation. At that moment, punishment for betraying his loved ones and his own spiritual blindness catches up with him, leaving him frozen in horror. In the end, a powerful metaphor unfolds: Zhangir, who stripped himself of humanity for money, literally turns into a cold stone statue, with his traditional cap left resting on its head.