A New Honor Emerges — Children Film Bauryna Salu Represent Kazakhstan in the Race for the 97th Academy Awards

This week, the children’s film Bauryna Salu received the official nomination from the Republic of Kazakhstan to represent the country in the race for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards in 2025.

As one of the 15 official selections of the 17th China International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF), Bauryna salu is a new work by Kazakhstani filmmaker Askhat Kuchinchirekov. The film draws from the director’s own childhood and tells the story of a boy raised by his grandmother who is suddenly asked to return to his biological parents. Silent and introverted, the boy finds himself torn between a deep yearning for paternal love and the emotional distance of his current reality. The result is a quiet, poignant struggle between inner desire and lived experience.

At the heart of Bauryna salu lies the ancient Kazakh custom of Bauryna salu—a traditional practice of entrusting a child to the care of relatives for upbringing. However, Kuchinchirekov goes beyond mere cultural depiction. He dives into the emotional intricacies and personal significance that make this practice resonate on a much deeper, more intimate level.

Director Askhat Kuchinchirekov at the shooting location

After graduating from the Kazakh National Academy of Arts, Kuchinchirekov gained early international attention as an actor in Sergei Dvortsevoy’s Tulpan (2008), which won the Un Certain Regard Award at the 61st Cannes Film Festival. He later contributed to Dvortsevoy’s Ayka (2018) as both actor and assistant director; Ayka was selected for the Official Competition at the 71st Cannes Film Festival and shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Kuchinchirekov’s own short film Gas Is Over (2013) won Best Short Film at the Dubai International Film Festival.