A staggering historical epic about the intrigue and turmoil of the East Asian civilization of Otrar, before its systematic destruction at the hands of Genghis Khan. Kazakh New Wave director Ardak Amirkulov’s The Fall of Otrar is a hypnotic epic about one of world history’s crucial military battles. Evoking the dynamic pacing of Akira Kurosawa, and the hallucinatory sensuousness of Tarkovsky (aided by a deft alternation among color, black-and-white, and sepia film stocks), Amirkulov follows the buildup to war through the eyes of Unjukhan (Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev), an audacious Kipchak soldier who tries to convince Khwarazm’s ruler (Tungyshpai Zhamankulov) of Khan’s imminent invasion.  With a panoramic scope that covers the intimate details of palace intrigue as well as the merciless sweep of battlefield carnage, The Fall of Otrar is a masterful imagining of the seismic changes of history—and a terrifying, electrifying feast for the senses.