The filmmakers explore what constitutes the "Japarov phenomenon" and how he managed to overcome one of the most challenging periods in the modern political history of Kyrgyzstan. The main focus is on the events from October 5 to 16, 2020, when the country found itself in a political vacuum.
In the documentary, Sadyr Japarov himself recounts those days. According to him, by the morning of October 6, it became clear that his supporters had gathered en masse in the square to express their support.
Photo from the internet
He recalls: “When I came out to the people after 3.5 years in prison, about 20,000 people had gathered. I realized that this was the only hope that people saw at that time,” the president says in the film.
Sadyr Japarov also emphasizes that he immediately urged his supporters to prevent looting and destruction: “I said: do not break anything, do not burn anything. This is all your property. I will do everything possible to justify your trust.”
One of the themes of the film is Kumtor, a name associated with Japarov for over 15 years. The film details how, in 2010-2012, he led a parliamentary commission investigating the activities of the gold mining site and why the issue of nationalization could not be resolved at that time.
The president explains his famous statement at the beginning of 2021 that “it is too late to take Kumtor.” According to him, it was a tactical decision.
“If I had immediately stated that we would take Kumtor, it would have been destroyed. It was a forced tactic,” he says in the film.
The filmmakers emphasize that after the elections, the process of returning the mine to state ownership was practically predetermined. In May 2021, the court ruled that Centerra Gold must pay compensation for environmental damage, after which external management was introduced, and agreements were reached that ended the long-standing conflict.
The documentary covers important moments of Sadyr Japarov's presidency, his approaches to governance, decision-making in a "manual mode," and changes in power after 2020. The creators of the film plan to dedicate subsequent episodes to the outcomes of his rule and the most controversial decisions of recent years.
