Zjana arka

Zhana Arka is a small railway cut in the steppes of Kazakhstan's Dzhezkazgan District, a small neighbour of the gigantic Baikonur. In the Kazakh language 'zhana arka' means: a new steppe. Many years ago the local people gave this name to their station to reflect their hopes.
In this documentary we see this land through the windows of a train compartment and we hear the simple story of Salmen Sharipov, a shop assistent who has travelled this route for hundreds of thousands of kilometres, in summer heat and winter cold, to sell bread to the inhabitants of the new steppe. The film ZHANA ARKA is a harsh document about human pain, deceived hopes, and patience.