"Man's voice:" "For hundreds of years, a great Asian region bordered by Russia and China has been home to my people, the Kazakhs, nomadic tribesmen roaming from one pasture to another." "Since the time of our legendary ancestor" "Genghis Kahn, hordes of foreign invaders have tried to conquer this land and put an end to our peaceful way of life." "Of all those who threaten the lives of my people, none were more brutal, more relentless than the fierce Jungar tribesmen from Mongolia." "( shouting )" "( horses whinnying )" "( all speaking at once )" "Man's voice:" "The Jungars brought war and destruction." "Our tribal leaders could not unite against this deadly enemy." "So many fled from the horrors of war that it became known as the "Flight with Bloody Feet."" "Many of us remain, hoping to see the fulfillment of the prophecy that one day a warrior descendent of Genghis Kahn would rise up and unite all Kazakhs in a revolt against our enemies." ", Oraz, have always believed I would see this come to pass, and I have searched far and wide for the promised child." "Surround him." "Man:" "Are you the one they call Oraz the wise?" "Yes, I am Oraz." "The Great Khan of all Jungars, Galdan Ceren, commands us to bring you to him." "You may tell your Great Khan that I am not a Jungar, and I do not have to obey his command." "Such words can cause a man's death." "However, my orders are to bring you in alive." " Take him." " ( shouting )" "Man:" "You are wise, Oraz." "You know that if we return without you, we could lose our heads." "That would be unfortunate." "I would not wish your children to curse me." "I have found him, Great Kahn." "So you are Oraz." "I have heard much about you." "It is said that you understand the languages of all animals." " Is this true?" " That is only given to God." "Although you won't deny that you understand horses." "People say that as well." "Perhaps then you will choose a horse for me, the finest of the herd." "(whinnying )" "Oraz:" "The chestnut stallion with the white streak, that is the best horse, a horse fit for a Great Khan who makes the earth tremble." "Do you know what awaits you if you are wrong, wise man?" " Íà!" " (whinnies )" "Hey, Kazakh." "By God, you're right." "The horse you chose is fit for a great ruler." "You are right, Kazakh." "You're gifted." "And for this," "I will make you the master of my stables and pay you your weight in gold." "Oraz:" "Gold cannot replace freedom, nor does it bring happiness." "Beware of your words, Oraz." "Your path may be a perilous one." "My path has already been determined by the stars, and I must follow it." "You speak with such certainty about the future." "How brightly will my star keep burning?" "You know yourself even stars fall from the skies, and new stars are born." "Wise one, this new star" "I must know, tell me his name." "I will know that when I find him." "Oraz:" "Whatever perils awaited me in my path," " never lost hope." "One day I asked the almighty," ""Î Creator, when will You send my people the fearless warrior who will unite all of our tribes and drive this foe from our land?"" "( bird squawks )" "( baby crying )" "At that moment, I heard a child cry and suddenly, I knew that the savior of my people had just been born." "( singing lullaby)" "Danger!" "Danger," "Great Kahn!" "Oh, great Galdan," "I've had a terrible vision of a child born to a Kazakh sultan who will one day cross your path and end your golden reign." "You must hunt down this wolf cub and kill him at once." "So the Kazakh was right." "Sharish, find this Kazakh child" " and kill it." " Yes, my lord." " Íà!" " (whinnies )" " As-salaam-alaikum." " Alaikum-salaam." "The child of the prophecy." "(coos )" "Are you looking for someone, Oraz?" "I have already found him." "Prepare for a Jungar attack." "Jungars!" "( shouting )" "Jungars!" "Protect the carriage." "(grunts )" "(grunts )" "Give me the child." "Hurry." "(woman screams )" "Hey, Kazakhs!" "Leave him!" "I will kill him myself." "(cheering )" "Where is the child?" "There is no child here." "(grunts )" "As-salaam-alaikum, Sultan." "Ah." "I need to talk to you." "Talk." "Sultan:" "I'll listen to you." "Jungars attacked the caravan that's bringing your wife here." "I know." "They've all been killed, my wife and my son." "Your son lives." "I was able to save the boy." "( baby crying )" "My boy." "How will I repay you, Oraz?" "I'm used to traveling light, Sultan." "I cannot let you go without some reward." "Ask me, what do you wish?" "Give me your son." "How can your tongue speak such words, Oraz?" "I haven't let the Jungar know that your son is alive." "There is no safer place in the world for him than with me, here in my palace." "Somebody told the Jungar about the caravan." "They were looking for him." "You ask for that which is most precious to me." "Go and raise him a good warrior." "Remember, keep your back straight." "Keep your heels down." "Feel the rhythm of the horse." "Feel his spirit." "The horse is a Kazakh's best friend." "He is your wings." "You must learn to take good care of him." "Oraz:" "I gathered them from all parts of the steppe." " picked only the best, each from a different tribe." "They all worked hard to become true warriors, but two boys outshined all the others." "Mansur and his best friend Erali." " was the only one who knew that one of them was a son of Sultan Wall." " Let's go." " Yeah." " How many eyes does a nomad have?" " Two." "Four." "Two in front and two behind." "All:" "As-salaam." "Tell me your names and tribes." " Barak, Agai tribe." " Zar, Ermek tribe." " Azamat, Tursyn." " Kairat, Kuntu tribe." " Mansur, I'm a Kazakh." " Bolat, Ermek tribe." " Ere, Uzbek." " I'm Erali, a Kazakh." " Eren, Alighe tribe." " You said you were a Kazakh." "Don't you know the name of your tribe?" "Mansur and I say Kazakh." "These boys are the hope of our nation." "You have trained good students." "Well done." "Let's move on to our next lesson." "(yelling )" "You are growing older and older, my friend." "I ask you, Î Great One, in the memory of our deceased ancestors, that our land be free of our enemies and be reborn." "Our ancestors roamed across this great steppe." "Once, long ago, the nomads led by the great Attila defeated Rome, the mightiest of empires in the West." "In the East, they took China." "But, most of all, they loved their land, and they always came back." "And the Kazakh roamed from south to north, after the spring, together with their herds and flocks." "( bleating )" "Oraz:" "No one has yet written the true history of our people." "Only the elders tell of our warriors and their great victories." "I want you to know which people you belong to and to swear loyalty to each other." "Our colt was born on the night of the new moon." "Mansur:" "He's a good horse, Gahar." "What's his name?" "1 call him Moonchild." " That's a good name." "Why are you looking at me?" "You're the one who's looking." "No, I'm not." "It's you." "Hey, Kazakh, come out and fight." "Or are you a coward?" "Mansur, don't you recognize us?" " Erali, is that you?" " Scared you, didn't we?" "I'm not scared of anything." "Let's go!" "Uh-uh-uh-uh." "Straight..." "Oraz:" "After 10 years of relative peace, the mighty Jungar army invaded our land once again." "Meanwhile, my boys had grown up." "Honored Oraz, Sultan Wali requests that you accompany him to Abulkhair's camp." "That's enough." "I'm gonna beat you." "Perhaps." "Man:" "Gather, everyone." "Î Almighty, let the horses be strong." "Let the land be prosperous." "Let my people's spirit rise." "May our enemies be overcome." "Let the game begin." " Amen." " All:" "Amen." "(cheering )" "Yes!" "If we do not reach an agreement soon, our homeland will disappear." "That is why I've called the tribes together." "Tell us what you are suggesting, honored Abulkhair." "One of us should be declared as the leader, and an alliance must be formed." "I suggest we unite with the Russians to the west." "I submit to no one." "Abulkhair, I'm certain if we form an alliance, we will lose our freedom." "The Kazakhs have always been a free people, subject to no law but God's and our own." "If we are to die, let us die free." "Honored Barak, no one doubts your courage, but we must join together or be destroyed by the Jungar armies," " as the prophecy decrees." " It's nonsense!" " It's an insult." " Wait, listen to Abulkhair." "Abulkhair:" "Now what?" "( girls singing folk song )" "( heart beating )" "Mansur, are you asleep?" " No." "1 need to talk to you." "My heart is bursting." "I have not been able to sleep all night." "Something's happened to me, something I have never felt before." "What?" "What is it?" "I feel" " I feel dizzy as if I am high above the ground looking down." "And your knees tremble, and the stars are falling, and you walked along the bank of the river and stood in the rain" " and wanted to shout out loud." "Yes." "I now realize the kind of woman the mother of my children should be." "In other words, you are in love." "Yes." "It happened on the swing." "She was next to me." "Her eyes and her voice." "Why did I not notice it before?" " As-salaam-alaikum." " Alaikum-salaam." "I see sadness in your eyes, my son." "You should look into my eyes." "You will see an even greater sadness." "Our hopes for uniting the Kazakh peoples... have collapsed." "You and Erali are like my two hands." "And now much is expected of you." "Oh, misery!" "I bring terrible news." "Darkness falls over the land, a curse on the reign of Galdan, the Great Kahn." "( chanting )" "I bring news, my lord, terrible news." "Great Galdan, Î ruler of the steppes, my master and protector, your wisdom is boundless, and your reign is just and truly magnificent, but the child, the one from the prophecy, the Kazakh, has not been destroyed." "He lives." "Woe to us all." "He will bring ruin to the Jungars." "Your mighty star will be extinguished, unless- you must find this Kazakh and put an end to his life." "Now this Kazakh will die." "Íî!" "I haven't seen Moonchild in ages." " He's grown." " Yes, we have all grown up." "Here." "You dropped it from the swing." "You can keep it if you want." "I can't." "Why?" "Because my friend loves you." "I know." "He is like a brother to me." "Me too, but I'm not your sister." "You have the scent of the moon." "Does the moon have a scent?" "Black flag- something happened." "Gahar:" "Protect him, Almighty." "Oraz:" "The Jungar army was approaching Turkistan, laying waste to our land, killing the men, enslaving the women." "It would not be long before they destroyed the walls of Turkistan." "We cannot leave Turkistan to the enemy." "If we survive, we can rebuild the city." "Now we must think about saving lives." "And who would lead us into battle?" "Who could unite the tribes?" "You have a son, Sultan." "His time has come." "Where is he, Oraz?" "When will I see him?" "How will I recognize him?" "You wanted your son to grow up to be a warrior." "Warriors are recognized in battle." "I will come back." "You go with them." "We will find you." "Mansur:" "Moonchild, take good care of her." "Look after your sister." "Did you talk to her?" "No, I did not." "Did you?" "We will let fate decide." "Our earth oil burns well." "The children and the others are leaving the city." "Only those who carry weapons will remain." "There are ancient hidden tunnels under the city." "Meant for escape?" "We can all vanish without a trace." "Do the Jungars know about it?" "Unfortunately, often they know more than we need them to know." " Here, give her to me." " Thank you." "Stay with your brother." "Zenep, Zenep, I'm going back." "Why?" "Whatever happens, I want to be with them." "What about us?" "You're safe now." "The gorge is there." "Gahar, Gahar!" "Kasim, Kasim!" "Stop her." "She's leaving us." " Gahar:" "Why are you following me?" " Man:" "Mansur ordered me to." "Gahar:" "Well, I order you to stay at the porch." "1 will not let you go alone." " Please, Kasim." " (whinnies ) - (screaming )" "(laughing )" "Sharish:" "Where are you going and why?" "1 will not tell you." " Of course you will." "I will sooner die." "(screaming )" " He's still a child." " Who is he to you?" "He's my brother." "Do you want to save his life?" "If you marry me, I will let him live, and you will bear me a real warrior." "Your brother will stay with me." "If you harm yourself in any way, he will be tortured to death cursing your name." "Take her to our camp." "Woman:" "To be the wife of a great warrior like Sharish is an honor that very few women can boast of." "Íà!" "It's good to cry." "A woman's tears wash away her sadness, like a long rain." "Aww... (laughing )" "Hurry and prepare her." "She must be ready when my son returns from his victory." "Man:" "We cannot take this city with swords alone." "We must ask Galdan for stronger weapons." "No." "I will take the town myself." "The Kazakhs will never surrender." "I suggest you make another proposal." "I propose a fight:" "One against one." "You win, we leave." "We win, you surrender." "There will be a duel between two warriors." "If the Kazakh wins, they leave." "If the Jungar wins, we will surrender without a fight." "I think we should accept it." "Did they give the name of their warrior?" " It's Sharish." " Sharish!" "( murmuring )" "May I speak, Teacher?" "You taught us to fight any opponent." " And today we are all ready." " Soldiers:" "We are ready!" "You'll be satisfied with me, Teacher." "Bless me." "I believe you, Erali." "But Mansur will fight Sharish." "( horse whinnying )" "It was Sharish that killed your mother." "Man:" "Î Almighty, help our warrior prevail over his enemy." "Let the spirit of his grandfather Ablai help him defend his people." " Amen." " All:" "Amen." "Did you pray, Kazakh?" "For you are about to die." "Am I?" "You tried this 20 years ago." " ( warriors chanting )" "Sharish:" "Ha!" "Ha!" "(warriors chanting )" "( drums thundering )" "(yells )" "( shouts )" "(grunts )" "(warriors shouting )" " (whinnying )" " Hy-ah!" "Hoo-ah!" "Íà!" "(groans )" "(armies chanting )" "( shouting )" "( cheering, groaning )" "Erali!" "Erali!" " What's wrong?" " The Jungars have captured Gahar." "Gahar?" "We have to free her." "Don't tell Mansur." "(cheering, chanting )" "Forgive me for not being able to call you my son for so long." "I'm proud of you." "I did my duty." "I avenged my mother." "Tell me about her." "I will." "I promise you." "You mother was a noble woman." "My son." "Oraz:" "Messengers were sent to the tribes of the great steppe to announce that a new leader had arisen." "Hope began to stir in the breasts of our people." "And they gave their new leader a new name" "Ablai." " ( cooing ) - ( men chanting in distance )" "Ablai will see no one." "I am Erali!" "So be it." "Erali..." "I'm leaving." "What happened?" "I must go." "Erali, we have to be together." "I need you." "Did you know from the beginning that you were the Sultan's son?" "No, I didn't." "And it makes no difference to us." "You were a brother to me." "And you are still a brother to me." "Well, if I am still a brother to you... then you will understand." "I didn't tell him anything, Teacher." "You did the right thing." "People need a leader." "He mustn't leave the city." "Your noble heart knows its course." "I do not have a noble heart." "It's just that I love her." "Erali:" "Goodbye." "Forgive me, my boy." "(spurs horse )" "(whinnying )" "Why didn't you stop him, Teacher?" "Oraz:" "I cannot change his destiny." "He was born to help you achieve your mission." "I don't understand." "What is my mission?" "You were chosen by the stars to become a warrior who will unite all Kazakhs." "I shall be leaving you tomorrow." "Why?" "There comes a time when a young eagle must be thrown out of the nest onto the rocky mountain... to see how he flies." "Is there anything else I need to know?" "Be aware of betrayal." "Great Galdan!" "Sharish has been struck down in battle!" "( men heaving, grunting )" "Great Khan!" "The Kazakhs send us this." "Open it." "They killed him?" "A new Kazakh warrior has appeared." "They call him Ablai." "Ablai is Mansur!" "The wolf cub I told you about." "I warned you to kill this child." "So, he does exist." "( sobbing )" "Silence!" "I will avenge him!" "I will avenge him." "( bird crowing )" "What news do you bring?" "(whispering ) This is the time we spoke of." "Mansur/Ablai's voice:" "Î hallowed tree of my childhood," "I've come to you for strength." " pray for wisdom from my ancestors, and I pray for the safety of my dear friends..." "Erali, Gahar." "Where are they now?" " need their help." "And I miss them..." " (whinnying ) - (rumbling )" "( grunting, shouting )" "Man:" "Do not kill him!" "Galdan wants him alive." "Man:" "These new weapons he brought are like thunder itself." " Sanji." " Yes, lord?" "Can you use these on the Kazakhs?" "Yes, Galdan." "Easily." " ( cannon blasts booming ) - ( horses whinnying )" "(folk music jangling )" "( shouting )" "The enemy is ours!" " Victory!" " ( children giggling )" "(folk music playing )" "It has always been the custom of the steppe to treat one's host with respect." "We Kazakhs put our hand upon our heart when crossing a stranger's threshold." "But how am I to do that when it is tied behind my back?" "I see that you respect the customs of the nomads." "But where is it written that a warrior is captured away from the battlefield?" "It is I who captured you!" "So I will cut your head off like you did my brother's." "You brother was an enemy of my people." "And I killed him in a fair fight." "I will honor the commandments of the nomads." "Genghis Khan's captured descendant cannot be executed." "But he can be forced to face our trials." "If you pass, I will let you go." "But if you do not pass, you will perish in our prison." "It's your choice." "(crowd chattering )" "Moonchild!" "Hey!" "Hey, where did you get that horse?" "It was my father who gave the horse to me." "It belonged to the Kazakh girl." "Take care of him." "He's a good horse." "Give him some yellow grass." "He likes that best." "(grunts ) Hy-ah!" "( both grunting )" "( groaning )" "(giggling)" "How did that man know my horse's name?" " What are you talking about?" " The prisoner." "Moonchild recognized him too." "That can't be." " It's impossible." " He called him Moonchild." "What else did he say?" " He told me he was a good horse." " Would you like to prove that he is?" " How?" " Tomorrow... (whispering inaudibly)" "Mansur/Ablai's voice:" "I have let myself be captured." " would rather die in battle." "Î Almighty, help me defend my honor in the face of the enemy." "Soldier:" "Get up." "Get up!" "Time to fight." "(crowd chattering )" "( drums pounding )" "( shouting, cheering )" "(grunting )" "Man:" "Come on, pay up." "Let's go." "You too." "The Kazakh won." "He won again." "He's unbeatable. ( chuckles )" " Isn't that your horse?" " Yes, it's my horse!" "Untie him." "(spurs horse )" "Moonchild." "God protect him." "Mansur- please." "(grunting )" "(gasps )" "(whinnying )" "You proved that you are a brave and skillful warrior." "Before you, no one has ever survived this test." "According to our laws," "1 must now set you free." " No!" "No!" "He must be killed!" "Otherwise, the spirit of Sharish will never rest peacefully." "I respect your grief, but revenge has blinded you." "If we break our own laws, our ancestors will turn away from us and the bond between the living and the dead will be broken." "What choice do I have?" "(laughing )" "(grunting )" "The prisoner must die in a duel." "And there is one who can defeat him." "Huh?" " Where is the prisoner?" " Over there." "Where are you going?" "I have food for the Kazakh." "No!" "You cannot pass." "Get out of here!" "Get up, Kazakh!" "Listen to me." "Your time has come." "This is your last fight." "If you win, great Galdan will set you free." "Who are you?" "I am Hocha, Galdan's daughter." "You were magnificent the other day." "Just as you were when you defeated Sharish." "I am honored to hear such praise from one as beautiful as you." "Unfortunately, you are doomed." "They will not let you live even if you win the fight." "You could lose your head for telling me this." "I have already lost my head." "I have long waited for a warrior as strong and as brave as you." "I know a way to save you." "You must marry a Jungar woman." "If you marry me, you will be a prince of our people." "Thank you, but I cannot accept." "Your opponent has already been brought here." "He has never known defeat." "Tomorrow, you will lose your head for certain." "Man:" "You will never see your opponent's face." "And he will never see yours." "Put it on." "( crowd cheering, shouting )" "Begin." "( drums thundering )" "( panting, grunting )" "(crowd gasping )" "Damn the evil!" "No!" "Curse you, Kazakh!" "(groans )" "I knew it was you— from the first blow." "Don't show your tears to the enemy." "Do not blame yourself." "We have done what we were destined to do." "Gahar is here." "Save her." "(whimpering )" "(weeping )" "(wailing ) No!" "Bury him with the honor he is due." "It will be so." "I promised you your freedom." "And you shall have it- tomorrow." "Show him to the tent for honored guests." "Tonight, we will celebrate his victory!" "(snake hisses )" "More, my poisonous friend." "I need enough venom to kill a horse." "Î Almighty One, help me to take his life." "(crowd chattering )" " Is there enough?" " Yes, I think so." "For you, honored warrior." "Mansur!" "It's poison!" " ( woman hooting ) - ( men grunting )" "Get on, quick!" "(screaming )" "Gahar:" "Come on, Moonchild!" "Mansur/Ablai's voice:" "Did you know that this would happen?" "How can it be that birds from the same flock, like best friends that grew up to become brothers, are forced to kill one another?" "Oraz's voice:" "Like night and day, good and evil are always together." "Someone must give his life so that another can prevail in the name of love and justice." " Why are you looking at me?" " No, you are looking at me." "(laughs )" "I am not." "You remember I told you you had the scent of the moon?" "Do you know what I really wanted to say?" "I wanted to say..." "I love you." "(throat-singers chanting )" " ( men shouting ) - ( horses thundering )" "I sent messengers to all the tribes." " And the troops?" " Maybe they are late." "What is wrong with us, Father?" "We Kazakhs are not helping each other in this time of need." "My son" "It takes time." "Tribes are trying to gather their warriors even now." "Yes." "I hope that you're right." "I'll stall for time." "Honored Ablai, we filled the tunnels as you ordered." "Very good." "What were you doing there?" "I want to fight the enemy too, Master." "You're too young." "Go back to your family." "I don't have a family." "The Jungars killed them all." " What do they call you?" " Erali." "Erali, come and stay with me, hmm?" "Mm-hmm." "Man:" "Î Almighty, hasten the tribes to our rescue." "Grant that with our help we may survive." "The Kazakhs have sent a messenger." "Tear him to pieces!" "Do it!" "(laughing )" " ( grunting ) - ( crowd cheering )" "(screaming )" "That is our fate if the tribes do not unite." "I give them until morning to surrender." "Mansur/Ablai's voice:" "I am the only one who knows what awaits the Jungars tomorrow." "But this battle can only be won with the help of all tribes working together as one." " pray that they arrive in time." "(chattering )" "Honored Ablai, Sultan Barak is coming." "But he's two days away." "The river is flooded." "He's trying to get across." "Get some rest." "Don't worry." "I saved it." "With this, no one can beat you." "Take care of our child." "( drum thundering )" "Khan:" "Raze the city to the ground!" "Take no prisoners!" "As for Ablai, I command you to bring me his head." "They will kill all of us." "Honored Ablai, we are ready to attack." " We have to wait." " What?" "Until they are closer." "Son, we could all escape through the tunnels." "There is no escape." "I ordered them filled with earth oil." "Honored Ablai!" " The Sultan is sending men—" " How many?" "!" "( gasping ) I don't know" "He is—" "We'll fight to the death." "All great spirits of Kazakh warriors, help us today in this fight for our land." "Why are we fleeing?" "We have them outnumbered by thousands!" "Cowards!" "Stop running!" "Fight to the death!" "All of you!" "Stop!" "We are Jungars!" "Man:" "The tribes are here!" "Reinforcements have arrived!" "Let us fulfill our destiny." " Amen." " Amen." "(grunting )" "Íà!" "Íà!" "Stay and fight!" "Cowards!" "Traitors!" "Fight to the death!" "To the death!" "Fight!" "Kill Ablai!" "Bring me his head!" "( screaming, grunting )" "(screaming )" "Oraz:" "The battle by the great walls of Turkistan lasted 100 days and 100 nights." "Blood flowed like rivers from both sides." "As they fought this epic battle, my people finally came together as one, as our forefathers had under Genghis Khan many years before." "This is how we conquered the Jungars... who had never known defeat." "Boy:" "Let me go!" "( boy grunting )" "Man:" "Shall I kill him, Ablai?" "Kazakhs don't kill children." "Bring him along." "This sword belonged to the great Khan, defender of our land." "You are his descendant." "And now that you have defeated the Jungar... the Kazakh people are ready to follow you as one." "I will be worthy of their trust." "All Kazakhs!" "All:" "Ablai!" "Ablai!" "Ablai!" "Ablai!" "Ablai!" "Ablai!" "Man #1:" "Who are you?" "Man #2:" "Messengers with a special trust." "(whinnying )" "Grandfather!" "Grandfather!" "Come here, my boy. ( sighs )" "( sniffs ) Ah..." " What is in the sack?" " Open it." "It is the face of the earth." "Here are the Tian Shan Mountains." "Here live the Indians and the Afghans." "And this is..." "Ka-za-khia." "It is immense." "Who sent this?" " Ablai Khan." ""From this day forth, all Jungars and enemies of our people must know that from the-"" "Mansur's/Ablai's voice:" ""From this day forth, all Jungars and enemies of our people must know that from the tianshan Mountains to the Aral Sea lies a land that has been inhabited by the Kazakhs since ancient times." "All who dare to encroach upon this land will be beaten and driven out as was done to the Jungars." "We will greet our friends with open arms, but to our enemies, we will show no mercy." "Ablai Khan."" "( women singing folk song )" "(woman vocalizing )" "(throat singers chanting )"