Mother
Directed by Marat Sembayev
Kazakhstan · 2026 · 4 min 59 sec · Drama
Submitted to RTV International Film Festival 2026Synopsis
A devoted mother shields her daughter with love, oblivious to the nightmare within.
Credits
Directed by Marat Sembayev
Director(s)
I was born in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, in 1988. From an early age, I was fascinated by cinema and dreamed of doing something related to filmmaking. However, at that time, there were virtually no opportunities to pursue this passion in our country. Semipalatinsk was also home to a nuclear test site, which was closed only in 1991. I attended an ordinary school and spent much of my childhood watching all kinds of films on VHS. It was not until I was at university, in 2007, that relatively good internet became available in Kazakhstan, allowing me to start learning video editing and computer graphics. I then became deeply interested in photography, and in 2011 I finally bought my first DSLR camera with video recording capabilities. This marked the beginning of my journey into filmmaking. In 2012, I made my first short film and was shortlisted in the Jameson 60-Second Film Competition. I later began working in television, producing and shooting various programs for TV channels. At the same time,I continued making short films and taking part in various film competitions and festivals, and in 2022, I won an award at a Central Asian film festival. In 2026, I became interested in exploring AI and filmmaking, and since then I have created and released two short films using AI technologies. Today, I continue to love cinema and creative work, and I keep trying to create something meaningful and worthwhile.
Film stills
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RTV International Film Festival — Inaugural Online Edition · 2026