This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Alina Mustafina and moderated by AAIFF programmer Rengu Zhang.
— About GINGERBREAD FOR HER DAD —
85-year-old Lyabiba doesn’t remember her dad, who died in World War II. At that time, some Soviet soldiers’ widows were given “consolation” gingerbread for their kids. Lyabiba still remembers the joy of receiving it during starvation years. Lyabiba’s daughter and granddaughter decide to find a mass grave in Poland where Lyabiba’s dad was buried. Three generations go from Kazakhstan to Poland, not only to search for physical remains, but also to restore the lost connection between themselves. They confront post-colonial Soviet traumas and search for a sense of home and lost identity of Kazakhs.