The list was prepared as part of the Busan International Film Festival and published in a special edition of the anthology "Asian Cinema 100," dedicated to the festival's 30th anniversary.
In compiling this ranking, the festival conducted a survey among 161 experts from 34 countries, including producers, directors, film critics, and film researchers. This list aims to reflect significant works that have influenced the development of Asian cinema and the formation of cultural memory over the past three decades, as stated in the official announcement.
It is worth noting that in 2015, the Busan festival already released a book titled "100 Best Directors and 100 Best Films of Asia," based on a survey of 73 film critics and festival directors. At that time, "Beshkempir" was recognized as one of the greatest films in Asian cinema, and Aktan Arym Kubat became one of the leading directors in the region, added Koichumanova.
The plot of the film tells the story of a boy growing up in a high-altitude village in the early 1960s. The main character is an ordinary boy living in his own world, surrounded by blooming gardens, caring parents, a loving grandmother, and friends. His life flows peacefully until he learns a shocking truth — he is actually an adopted child. This revelation leads him to a deep sense of loneliness and the feeling that he has become a stranger in his own home.
