The Gift

Based on true events, The Gift tells the tragic story of a young seven year old girl, who is lead to believe that the mole on her lip is a gift from God and that all her wishes will come true.

Arno lives with her parents, three sisters and grandfather in a remote pasture within the high, majestic mountains of Central Asia. Her mother is pregnant and her father's only wish is for her to give birth to a son.

Arno leads a carefree life and wishes to be the son her father has never had. However, nothing lasts forever and their world is soon to be destroyed by encroaching civilization

The family's fragile existence is also in jeopardy, as Arno's doubt about her father's love for her, breaks their spiritual relationship.

As events unfold, unfulfilled desires rise to the surface leading to an unexpected tragedy...

  • Dalmira Tilepbergenova
    Director
    Under Heaven (full-length feature film), Year of fire (documentary) etc
  • Dalmira Tilepbergenova
    Writer
    Esimde, Under Heaven, Year of the fire
  • Dalmira Tilepbergenova
    Producer
    Under Heaven, Year of the fire
  • Gulmira Kerimova
    Producer
    Beshkempir, Selkinchek, Maimyl
  • Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
    Producer
    Kurmanjan Datka, Joo kuluk etc
  • Jannat Kuruchbekova
    Key Cast
    "Arno"
  • Talaikan Abazova
    Key Cast
    "Ultu"
    Esimde, Under Heaven, Sutak, Shambala, Svet ake etc.
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 23, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Kyrgyzstan
  • Country of Filming:
    Kyrgyzstan
  • Language:
    English, Kirghiz
  • Shooting Format:
    39 cinema DCI s
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:2
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Venice Production Bridge/ Focus on Kyrgyzstan
    Venice
    Italy
    August 31, 2023
    Special screening
    Special screening at the Focus on Kyrgyzstan
  • Shlingel International Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    September 26, 2023
    Premiere in Germany/ Shlingel IFF
    The Best Kid Actress/Official Selection
  • Stars Asian International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    November 12, 2023
    United States ptemiere/ Stars Asian IFF
    "Multicultural impact"/Official selection
  • Stars Asian International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 12, 2023
    United States premiere/ Stars Asian IFF
    Best Actress/ Official selection
  • I am Tomorrow International Film Festival
    Brussel
    Belgium
    November 23, 2023
    Belgium Premiere/ I am Tomorrow IFF
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Gulkair Tilenbaeva, Elvira Mamytova
    Sales Agent
    Country: Kyrgyzstan
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Dalmira Tilepbergenova

Dalmira Tilepbergen is a Kyrgyz film director/screenwriter with twenty years of experience working in film.

After completing a film course in Moscow she made numerous documentaries in Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

Her first feature film 'Under Heaven' has been screened at many film festivals including Canada, USA, Russia, Kazakhstan and Japan. In 2015, at the Montreal World Film Festival, it received a Special Jury mention for Best Debut. At the Bengaluru International Film Festival it won the Grand-Prix as well as the NETPAC prize and at the New York International Film Festival won the Jury Prize.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Gift is based upon the true story of a period in my life
as a very young girl. My father died in the mountains when I was
just 7 years old. The last words I said to him were: “I wish you
were dead”. As a result of this, all through my life I have
lived with the feeling that it was my fault. I have always felt
that my words deprived him of his life and that I was
responsible for putting all my family through a lifetime of
sorrow and hardship. So now, with this film I want to show my
father's soul how much I love him and hope that he has forgiven
me. That is why for me this project is more than passion. It has
been my life's work, mission and ambition. I want to promote the
idea that each of us must accept the responsibility of what we
think and say.
I also included some biblical episodes in the story, such as
exile from the Garden of Eden. In the case of the Gift,
paradise is a remote pasture in the mountains of Central Asia,
which is soon threatened by the invasion of civilization. This
paradise is also reflected in Arno's fragile soul when it loses
its innocence and the world of its unconscious forever.
I see the film like the imagination of a small child in this
harsh and cruel world. Arno grows in this terrible environment,
but sees it as a miracle and a fairy tale. And the camera
catches everything, like her POV.