Mergen

In this atmospheric neo-noir, a police officer investigating a death in the snowy Kyrgyz mountains uncovers a web of violent corruption in a remote former gold-mining town. As the plot thickens, personal demons, Soviet legacies and local superstitions collide with devastating consequences.

In the snow-covered Tian Shan mountains of Soviet-era Kyrgyzstan, the ceremonial opening of a new gold mine is interrupted by the sudden collapse of a young policeman, gripped by a mysterious seizure. Decades later, local police officer Nurtay (Omurbek Izrailov) is drawn back to those same mountains when a vlogger accidentally stumbles across a body in the wilderness. As the investigation progresses, a vast conspiracy, led by local crime boss and poacher Kerym (Nazim Mendebairov), is gradually exposed, revealing the deep undertow of violence beneath the placid exterior of this apparently peaceful rural community. At the same time, the unravelling mystery also sparks a reckoning for Nurtay. Past traumas – both personal and historic – drift disturbingly back into the present.

In this impressive second feature, Chingiz Narynov combines familiar crime drama tropes with Kyrgyz mythology and a subtle critique of lingering colonial legacies to offer a distinctive twist on film noir conventions. As Nurtay’s internal struggles collide with the brutal reality of what lies buried in the snow, Mergen builds to a haunting denouement. 

– Rachel Pronger

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