Rashid Nugmanov

In 1977 Rachid Nougmanov graduated from an architectural institute. In 1984 he entered the VGIK Moscow Film Institute. His first feature The Needle (1988) initiated what was to become in cinematic history: the 'Kazakh New Wave'. Claiming recognition abroad at festivals including Berlin, Toronto and Sundance, the film took First Prize at Nuremberg and was released in the USSR with 1,000 prints in circulation (the resulting boxoffice number - over 30 million admissions). The film's star, Victor Tsoi, was voted Best Actor of the Year 1989 by the national press. From 1989 to 1992, Nougmanov served as President of the Union of Kazakh Filmmakers. In 1992-1993, he wrote, directed and produced The Wild East, which won international acclaim in venues spanning from Venice to Los Angeles to Tokyo, and was honored in Valenciennes, France with the Prix Special du Jury. Since 1993 Rachid Nougmanov resides in Paris.