“Music Is Born in Pain”: Kazakh Composer Robert Ziganshin on Inspiration, Integrity, and Creative Freedom

Robert Ziganshin is one of Kazakhstan’s most in-demand film composers. A graduate of the Lyon Conservatory in France, where he studied classical guitar and earned master’s degrees in both music for the visual arts and musicology, he returned home to rapidly establish himself in the country's film and television industry. Ziganshin’s credits include music for popular TV series and films such as Alisher Utev’s crime drama 5:32 (IMDB), the box office hit Kazakh Business in Brazil, and Malika, a feature film by Russian director Natalya Uvarova about a family of Ingush migrants. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Ziganshin spoke about the influence of the French school, the ethics of film composition, and why writing music “that simply comments on the action” can mean sacrificing artistic integrity. TCA: Robert, you graduated from KIMEP in Kazakhstan. How did you end up in France? Ziganshin: I’ve been passionate about music since early childhood. Even when I was playing with building blocks, I was always humming something, as if adding a soundtrack to my own stories. I didn’t get into music school, and it wasn’t until I was fifteen that I started taking private guitar lessons. There were times I practiced six hours a day. There was no higher education in classical guitar in Kazakhstan at the time, so I enrolled at KIMEP. After graduating, I applied to two conservatories in France and was accepted to the one in Lyon. TCA: Why France? Ziganshin: I spoke fluent French. My father had sent me to language school, and I took part in competitions. Later, a professor from Lyon gave a master class in Almaty, and I helped translate for him. He assessed my level and encouraged me to apply to his course. TCA: Was tuition really that affordable? Ziganshin: For foreign students, it was about €900 per year, including health insurance. Compared to the UK, it was a bargain. I spent four years there and earned a bachelor’s degree. TCA: How did you shift into composing for film? Ziganshin: I met students from the program Musique appliquée aux arts visuels, music created for film, theater, performance, and media art. I wanted to try it. The entrance exam was creative: we had to score scenes and compose music for a three-minute video in a week. I got in on my second try, only twelve of us were accepted. It was a two-year program, starting with orchestration and sound engineering, then moving into practical work on student film projects. TCA: What was the subject of your master’s thesis? Ziganshin: When should a composer start work on a film? Personally, I prefer being involved from the script stage. After finishing that degree, I also enrolled in a master’s in musicology. In 2021, I returned to Kazakhstan. I struggled to find paid work in music and almost joined my father’s printing business. I even started hand-making notebooks, neat and beautiful ones. But soon, small offers started coming in, and I returned to composing full-time, initially...

Kazakhstan’s Film Industry Surges: Domestic Productions Outperform Foreign Blockbusters at the Box Office

Kazakhstan's domestic film industry is experiencing a renaissance, successfully competing with and even surpassing foreign productions in box office revenue, an outcome that was unthinkable just a decade ago. Ten years ago, Kazakhstani films and television were seldom watched. Western and Russian blockbusters dominated cinemas, leaving little room for domestic content. Filmmakers lamented that their work attracted only a niche audience of aesthetes and patriots. Today, however, Kazakh productions are filling theaters and attracting millions of online views. “In 2024, the output of Kazakhstani films increased by 58%. Among the top 10 highest-grossing films, every second one was a domestic production. Revenue from foreign and domestic films was nearly equal. This demonstrates the growing interest of audiences in national content,” Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, said on March 18. By the end of 2024, Kazakhstani films had grossed more than 22 billion tenge, a 30% increase compared to 2023, according to Alexander Aksyutits, general director of the Top Pro Cinema production center. The number of films released during the year surged from 65 to 107. “What’s even more important is that Kazakhstanis’ attention to national cinema continues to grow. Looking at the top 20 highest-grossing films of last year, 70% were locally produced. Just a few years ago, foreign films dominated the market. As a result, our film industry is attracting increasing interest from private investors. Equally significant are the positive changes in the state financing system for film production,” Aksyutits said. [caption id="attachment_29923" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] YouTube/frame from the series "5:32"[/caption] Streaming Demand and Cultural Shift Aksyutits also noted a surge in Kazakhstan's TV series production, largely due to the rising popularity of streaming platforms. However, demand for local content currently outstrips the country’s production capacity, primarily due to a shortage of skilled professionals. Some experts believe this shift in audience preferences is linked to a growing cultural divide between Kazakhstan and the Western and Russian film industries. As narratives diverge, local audiences increasingly seek stories that reflect their own experiences and values. “In recent years, I’ve started watching Kazakhstani TV much more often. Before, I had little interest in them and barely knew they existed. Now, I remember titles like Meow, 5:32, Patrol, and Sake. These are mostly crime dramas or comedies. What draws me in are the relatable characters, people you might see in your own neighborhood. The familiar settings, humor, and natural dialogue make the stories feel real,” said Alexander, a resident of Almaty. The TV series Meow follows drug couriers and the battle against them, while 5:32 delves into the world of serial killers. Sake and Patrol take a comedic approach, with the former portraying a charmingly corrupt mid-level official and the latter focusing on the daily lives of police officers. According to critics, this new wave of TV content, which is currently achieving high ratings on television and accumulating millions of online views, successfully blends serious themes with strong performances and humor. Countries including Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Ireland, Germany, Azerbaijan, Turkey, India, South Korea, the UK,...