Kazakhstan has launched the final phase of filming for the international historical film Molla Nasreddin: Friend of Hard Days, a project uniting filmmakers from six Turkic nations.
Having previously filmed across Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the production team will complete shooting in Almaty, the Almaty Region, and Turkistan, including locations near the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
Initiated in 2023 at the 40th meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY in Shusha, the feature film explores shared cultural values, traditions, and worldviews of the Turkic peoples through the iconic folklore figure. The film features dialogue in Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Uzbek.
People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Vagif Mustafayev directed and wrote the screenplay. Honored Artist of Kazakhstan Sagyzbay Karabalin plays the lead role of Nasreddin Hodja, alongside Kazakh actors Konysbek Bekaydarov, Ondasyn Beksikbasov, and Akerke Arys.
