The famous Kazakhstani film director, chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Kazakhstan Yermek Tursunov spoke about corruption in film production, including in the State Center for Support of National Cinema.
“Kasym-Zhomart Kemelevich in one of his recent speeches said that, unfortunately, the community of filmmakers is“ shocked by scandals ”and it“ plunged into internal strife ”. Here I absolutely agree with him. I don’t think his speechwriters understand the reasons. Therefore, relying strictly on the facts and without extra emotions, I will give a few examples. Moreover, these facts are publicly available”, Tursunov wrote on his Facebook page, explaining that he had chosen such an informing way because he doubted that the Kazakh media would publish it.
First of all, the director announced that on November 1, 2019, the State Center for Support of National Cinema (SCSNC) concluded an agreement for almost a million US dollars with the company Eurasia Film Production. The director of this company is Nurlan Akhmetgaliev, who is the sibling of Gulnara Sarsenova. She, in turn, is the chairman of the board of the SCSNC.
Moreover, it should be added that the Eurasia Film Production website explicitly states that this company was created in 2004 by Ms. Sarsenova.
“There is a delicate moment about the ethics of a civil servant in all this action. In other words, Ms. Sarsenova was supposed to recuse herself and take over her project or to abandon it and remain in the chair of the Center’s chairman. Neither one nor the other was done. Well, let’s leave it on Ms. Sarsenova’s conscience, ”comments Tursunov.
He further notes that the contract was executed on December 10, and Eurasia Film Production successfully used the million US dollars allocated to it.
“However, not everything is perfect here either. The next day, when the money entered the company’s account, $ 902 thousand were transferred to Gulnara Bulatovna’s bank account. Moreover, they were transferred with the wording “refund of monetary aid”. Although this amount was for intended purpose and there was not a single word about “monetary aid”. And I want to remind – this is public money. Despite this, the reports were accepted without any questions at the Ministry, ” wonders the head of the Union of Filmmakers of Kazakhstan.
This May, Gulnara Sarsenova’s appeal to cinematographers and businessmen of Kazakhstan was published on the SCSNC website. She announced that she would return to the state $ 900 thousand which are set aside to her movie “Nartai” and will add another $ 100 thousand from personal finances.
“The State Center for the Support of National Cinema, established in 2019, from the first day of its existence, has embarked on the creation of a new unprecedented panorama of the development of the domestic film industry, which is based on openness and transparency. We have left behind the scenes the distribution of budget funds for film production, made our activities clear not only to the professional community, but also to the audience, thereby regaining the lost confidence in state investment in the industry. However, the prevailing circumstances jeopardized our plans for the development and strengthening of the film process in Kazakhstan. The planned budget of the Cinema Center can be significantly cut even though, according to the results of the second pitching, it was decided to support more than 50 film projects that raise important ideological, social, and educational topics. A reasonable question arises: “What did you personally do to somehow influence the situation?”. Here is my answer. As a current producer, whose film “Nartai” was supported and financed by the state after the first pitching, I decided to return the funds allocated for my project to the budget of the National Cinema Center. In addition, I allocated my own funds to support short and debut projects approved by the Expert Council at the second pitch session of the Cinema Center, ”Sarsenova said in a statement. However, according to Tursunov, something was wrong with this “amusement park of unprecedented generosity”.
“It turned out that the anti-corruption committee instituted criminal proceedings against Sarsenova. However, she prudently kept silent about this fact. And while the employees of the Anti-Corruption Department were waiting for her for questioning, she strategically competently went to the hospital, and her experienced lawyers suggested that it was better to return the funds. It was done loudly and outwardly very spectacular” he explains.
Tursunov also emphasizes that other representatives of the SCSNC leadership are getting away with similar schemes.
“On November 1, 2019, an agreement was signed between the SCSNC and “Bozokfilm”. On behalf of “Bozokfilm” the contract was signed by Navkeeva Ainura. The amount of the contract was 283 thousand USD. Later, on April 18, 2020, an additional government procurement contract number 39 was signed between the same participants. This time it was 1.5 million US dollars. What’s the hitch here? It’s in the fact that Ainura Navkeeva is the wife of Adilbaev Aidarkhan, the deputy chairman of the SCSNC. In addition, the Kanaydar company, owned by the same Adilbayev, appears in the contractors at Bozokfilm” reveals the secrets of the cinema backstage Yermek Tursunov.
The chairman of the Union of Cinematographers has unveiled other schemes, which are attended by the Satay Film company with the “Boxer” and “Tanaris Production” project, the director of which is another well-known Kazakh film director and screenwriter Sergey Azimov.
“The contract of November 1, 2019, with Tanaris Production, was for the amount of 55 thousand US dollars. The project is called “The Return of the Teacher.” The reports were submitted on December 7, 2019, but there is no film as such. It simply does not exist. Looks like Sergei Azimov’s style. If memory serves, in 2018 he received about $ 50 thousand US dollars for the documentary film “Oralkhan Bokeev”. The ministry accepted financial reports, but no one saw the film, ”Tursunov writes.
Another scheme of budgetary funds theft — office rental. Since October last year, SCSNC paid individual entrepreneur Bayakhmetov about $ 205 thousand for office rental. “Everything would be fine if Mr. Bayakhmetov was not a personal driver of Gulnara Bulatovna,” Tursunov notes.
The filmmaker did not bypass his attention to the salaries of some employees of the SCSNC. So, according to him, the adviser to the chairman of the SCSNC foreigner Anna Kachko receives a salary of $ 15.5 thousand per month.
“I assume that salaries can be different. But this is if the specialist deserves it. And if Anna Kachko would be, say, Steven Spielberg, then I would give more for her consultations. But since Anna Kachko is not Spielberg, questions involuntarily arise, ”ironically says Tursunov.
At the same time, he adds that he periodically raised the question of what caused the loyal attitude of the Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan, Aktota Raimkulova, to the chairman of the SCSNC, Gulnara Sarsenova.
“Why their reports are accepted so easily? And even here everything turned out to be easy and simple. In the Nartai project, the composer is the current Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Aktoty Raimkulova … And if everything that I give a passing mention about here is not a crime, then what is it? And if this is not corruption, not embezzlement, not fraud, nor abuse and not a crime at all, then what is it all called? By the way, a criminal case has been instituted. Nobody closed it. The investigation is still in progress. The facts are glaring. However, people remain in their places and continue to work in the Center. How to understand this? ”, wonders the filmmaker.
Additionally, Gulnara Sarsenova apart from her passion for cinema is the founder of the chain of luxury perfume stores “French House”, the “New Generation” newspaper, and the “Revue” magazine.
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