First Open-Air Cinema Opened In Astana, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, located in central Asia, is a former soviet republic. The world's 9th largest country by size. The capital city is Astana where the official languages are both Kazakh and Russian. Nursultan Nazarbayev has been the leader of the country since 1989 and most recently re-elected garnering more than 95% of the vote. The country's exports are decidedly dominated by oil and gas along with various mining operations.

Many of the world's most cosmopolitan cities have open-air cinemas for the populace to enjoy. Open-air cinemas first began in the early 1900's in Berlin, Germany. This past week more than 200 residents of the capital were able to appreciate a screening with many more planned throughout the season. The screen size is approximately 3 by 8 metres. The first film screened was a historical epic "Kazakh Eli". The film delves into the early stages of the Kazakh Khanate.



"....of all the arts, for us the cinema is the most important"

                                                                        - Vladimir Lenin