The Gift to Stalin

The Gift to Stalin is a 2008 Kazakhstani film that tells the story of a little boy named Sasha who is sent to Kazakhstan. He is saved from death by an old Kazakh man, Kasym, who takes the boy into his home. The film is set in 1949. The title, The Gift to Stalin, has significance in two ways. First, in 1949, the Soviet government carried out a nuclear test on the anniversary of Joseph Stalin’s 70th birthday. Many innocent people fell victim to the nuclear test. The other significance is concerns Sasha’s dream. He hopes that if he gives Stalin a gift, he will be able to see his parents again, not knowing that they have been killed.