Asia House Film Festival: The Seventh Bullet / Sedmaya Pulya

The Seventh Bullet / Sedmaya Pulya
(Ali Khamraev, USSR/Uzbekistan, 1972) 84 mins

The films of Uzbek director Ali Khamraev are long overdue discovery in the UK. This stunning “Red Western” is a real revelation. Adapting the gritty nihilism of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns to local landscapes, its story unfolds during the Basmachi Revolt of the 1920s, in which Communist reformers sought to suppress an uprising by the Muslim peoples of Central Asia.

In a feat of daring, Maxumov, a Red Army officer whose troops have deserted him for the charismaticrebel leader Khairulla, allows himself to be captured and attempts to win back his men to the Bolshevik cause from within the enemy stronghold. Khamraev’s depiction of the ensuing mind games admirably refuses to paint either side in black and white, while the conflicting psychological state of its protagonist are thrown into relief by the barren locales and ransacked villages in which the gripping gun-battles and chases unfold. The result is a film that has drawn comparisons with the work of John Ford and Akira Kurosawa. Screening from 35mm.

Asia House is thrilled to announce the full programme of its seventh annual Asia House Film Festival which will take place from 27 March to 31 March 2015, generously supported once again by Prudential plc. This year’s theme of New Generations reflects on new talents, new styles, new landscapes and new modes of film production from and about the Asia Pacific region – from Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesian, India, Japan and Uzbekistan, with a special focus and retrospective on Mongolia.

The festival includes an exciting selection of features, documentaries and shorts, including two European premieres, eight UK premieres and one London premiere, alongside a showcase of classic films. Asia House is also excited to announce this year’s festival venues: Ham Yard Theatre, Rich Mix, The Horse Hospital and the Cinema Museum