Mariam

In Zhanash, a far-away village nestled on the Kazakh Steppe, 400 kilometres away from Almaty — and another three kilometres by foot on a dirt path off the main road — Mariam (Meruert Sabbusinova) lives with her husband and four young children in a home without light and water. One winter day, her husband disappears without a trace. Because there is no body, he cannot be officially declared dead. As a result, Mariam cannot receive state financial support. A very reserved person who buries her emotions deep inside, Mariam, alone, must take survival into her own hands. The experience changes her. Then, just as everything has begun to fall into place, her husband suddenly returns as if nothing has happened and expects life to continue as before. (Toronto International Film Festival)