Adilkhan Yerzhanov's new film "ASSAULT" will be presented in the BIG SCREEN program of the 51st International Film Festival in Rotterdam, which will be held from January 26 to February 6, 2022 in online format.

Adilkhan Yerzhanov is one of the most famous Kazakh cinematographers who have received dozens of awards at film festivals. This film continues the development of the universe of Karatas village - a miniature allegorical copy of the country and the world. It is in Karatas that the action of most of Yerzhanov's films takes place. The plot of the film develops around the invasion of terrorists into the school and the capture of children hostage through the fault of one of the teachers.

Adilkhan YERZHANOV: "The action of the "Assault" takes place in the fictional village of Karatas, in which masked unknown people seize a school. This is, of course, the most conditional space, not tied to anything. "Assault" should not be associated with any real events. This is a psychological, not a journalistic movie. And this is not a standard action about the release of hostages. It's not about fighting bandits, but about fighting with yourself. The "Assault" can be viewed in an existential way: a person must make a choice, and the main struggle takes place inside, introspectively. I like the fashionable definition of "slowberner", it seems to me very suitable as a genre definition of this picture. My previous film "Atbay's Fight" was in the program of the Yakut International Film Festival. Boris Khlebnikov was the chairman of the jury at that time. I was lucky, he paid attention to the "Fight". And then my producers came to his studio, offered the script of "Assault" and cooperation. "Assault" is a symbiosis of Kazakh and Russian cinema. Including acting experience. I am glad that the film was included in the program of the Rotterdam Festival, one of my favorite festivals - it is both significant and non-academic in nature. There is a lot of avant-garde and experiment in it. The premiere of the film at the screening of the author's cinema gives the "Assault" the necessary start. Congratulations to the whole team and I am grateful to everyone!".

Alexander PLOTNIKOV, Boris KHLEBNIKOV, producers: "We, the LOOKFILM studio, were happy to get involved in the work on the "Assault" and were happy to support our colleagues and Adilkhan— one of the most interesting modern directors. And, of course, we are glad that "Assault" is in competition at one of the most prestigious world festivals and continues the success of our films on the map of world cinema screenings. It's a pity that this year, the festival takes place in the online space and the authors will not be able to present their film in person, but such are the circumstances. We sincerely wish all of us good luck!".

Natalia DROZD, producer: "I am very pleased with our joint work on the painting "ASSAULT". We were immediately intrigued by the script, and, of course, the opportunity to collaborate with such an interesting author as Adilkhan is great. We really hope that our picture will find a response from the audience, both professional and ordinary."

The Rotterdam Festival is one of the largest in Europe, along with festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Locarno. It was first organized in 1972. From the very beginning, the festival has been focused on supporting alternative and non-commercial cinema, with an emphasis on films from East Asia and developing countries.