Hilal Baydarov, already a towering presence in art-cinema from his “Sermon” trilogy, follows Shah Ismail on a metaphysical quest: to find, amidst impending oblivion, the mythical water of life. The film immerses us in a liminal realm that pulses with spiritual unease and surreal beauty, where every droplet of memory, every whisper of belief, becomes a lifeline.
Baydarov’s cinematic language elevates the narrative to mythic oscillation: the search becomes less about destination than the weight each moment carries in the face of extinction. At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where the film world-premiered out of competition, critics noted its “existential lyricism” and “haunting simplicity.” Viewers found themselves drawn into its contemplative pace, a ritual of remembrance sung in the spaces between words.
Baydarov, acclaimed for his deep sensitivity to place and interiority, reaffirms himself here not as a documentarian but as a modern-myth maker. Sermon to the Void is a testament to cinema's ability to hold silence and myth in a single frame, an echo of faith in the void, and a final sermon to what remains.
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