Letters to an Angel (Pisma k Angelu) by Ermek Shinarbaev (Kazakhstan, 2009, 92 min.). One winter night in Almaty, Gulnara seduces a young novelist. When he tells her a story he’s written, she responds with a beguiling tale of her own about a woman, perhaps herself, who has simultaneous affairs with two men. The tale concludes with a haunting twist. One of Kazakhstan’s most accomplished directors, Ermek Shinarbaev, crafts a suspenseful, surprising and beautifully shot film infused with an aura of erotic melancholy. This film questions the boundaries of truth and fiction, and highlights just how much a narrative depends on the teller; it is never quite clear whether Gulnara's story is itself an invention, and who is really responsible for what unfolds. Ayganim Sadykova delivers a riveting performance as the mysterious Gulnara. Discussion with director and American independent film producer Michael Fitzgerald follows the November 14 screening. In Russian with English subtitles.