Germany, 2025, 90 min., English, Kazakh and Russian with English and Bulgarian subtitles, dir. Nils Eberwein
Through the filmmaker’s eyes, we embark on a road trip through a country somewhere between the Wild West and the crumbling Soviet Union. In search of cosmic rocket parts and traces of an era of open nuclear testing, the film encounters Sergei, Yerlan and Batyrbai. Their stories reveal a population caught between contaminated land, uninhabitable test site and a capital city that absorbs the country’s wealth. Along the way, hidden rocket scrap, radioactive craters and forgotten histories emerge.
Screenwriter: Nils Eberwein
DOP: Nils Eberwein
Music: Fred Hellmann / Timo Klabunde
Production: Nils Eberwein
Director’s Biography:
Nils Eberwein studies documentary film directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. He focuses on the Soviet Union’s collapse, traveling to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Kazakhstan to research forgotten stories. He believes understanding these issues is crucial and more relevant than ever for the future.