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According to mythology, centaurs are creatures whose upper body is that of a man while the lower body and legs are those of a horse. Even though they are sometimes portrayed as malicious, their overall figure makes them a symbol for wildness and being untamed, a free spirit whose very roots are in the forests and prairies of the world. In his 2016 feature named “Centaur”, Kyrgyzstani director Aktan Abdykalykov may not refer to the mythological creatures directly, but most certainly to what they stand for. The film, which won the renowned Cicae Award at Berlin Film Festival 2016 and was the Kyrgyz entry for the 90th edition of the Oscars, deals with a transition within Kyrgyz society, a skeptical view on the question whether the step into modernity coincides with the dissolution of traditions, values and essentially what has defined a society for centuries.

For many years, Centaur (Aktan Abdykalykov) has...