Català
EspañolKazakhstan by Thomas and Lucy Atkinson
Director: Ms Daria Chernova
Producer: Sergey Stanovkin
Country: Kazakhstan
Synopsis
This incredible story started in 1846 when British Architect Thomas Witham Atkinson decided to set off for a journey to Kazakhstan. He was one of the first European explorers to travel this far to the East of the vast Russian Empire. To do that he had to ask Russian Emperor directly to grant him special permission and issue him a passport. His contemporaries highly appreciated the discoveries made during this long journey. Two books about Kazakhstan published by Tomas Atkinson received a warm welcome from western scientists and were very successful among the general public. Thomas Atkinson became a member of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Geological Society.
Kazakhstan today is one of the most advanced countries in Central Asia. Its capital city built almost from scratch some 25 years ago is a fascinating mixture of Nomadic traditions and very modern architecture. Kazakhstan is blessed with rich natural recourses, but neither country nor its people are willing to stop there. As real nomads, they want to explore and embrace the world around them.
Objectives
Present Kazakhstan through real pictures drawn by Thomas Atkinson and his wife Lucy during their journey in Kazakhstan in the 19th century. We were filming at precisely the exact locations where they drew their pictures. In this way, we wanted to link the past and present of Kazakhstan.
During location scouting, the filming crew of Dars Films was accompanied by descendants of Thomas and Lucy. One hundred seventy years later, they repeated their journey and came to Kazakhstan from as far as Hawaii, New Zealand, and the UK.