Bakhyt Khadzhibaev

The film is based on the events of 1992 that took place in Southern Kazakhstan, when prisoners who escaped during the transfer to Russia took a regular bus with passengers hostage. The best forces of Kazakhstan's national security and law enforcement were dispatched to rescue them.

11-year-old Ilyas loses his parents too soon. Overnight, he and his sisters are sent to an orphanage - where kindness is rare and rules are strict. Growing up fast, facing down bullies, scraping for food, and protecting his sisters like a wolf guards its pack, Ilyas refuses to break. And through it all, he clings to the idea that family isn’t just blood; it’s who stands by you when the world turns its back.