You were standing on the shore

Zhayna travels from Xinjiang to Almaty in search of her missing husband, Yersin, who vanished without a trace when the Kazakhstan-China border closed during the pandemic, and the political winds grew harsh. Reuniting with old companions, she meanders through memories of youth, love, and the shifting world they left behind. A gentle, minimalist elegy on longing and belonging from Kazakh poet, translator and filmmaker Tilek Yrysbek.