A stranger in a strange land — Esai Morales on Astana’s cinematic potential
During a press conference at ComicCon Astana 2025, Kazinform News Agency correspondent asked Hollywood star Esai Morales about how he would translate his first impressions of Kazakhstan’s capital into a film. Reflecting on his arrival in Astana, the actor was invited to imagine the moment as a movie scene and how it would look, feel, and unfold on screen.
“That’s an interesting question,” Morales responded. “It depends on whether it’s a story based on reality or fiction. If it’s narrative, I would probably be a stranger in a strange land until he finds the common thread with the people.”
He added that the concept could take the form of a spy movie, where the main character has to navigate unfamiliar territory and discover who can be trusted.
The actor explained his vision as a story that explores contrasts: "There are so many different cultures here, from Europe and from Asia, that it would be interesting to find suffering in a place that is modern on one side, very modern, and yet somewhat ancient on another, and try to figure out where his true love lies and where his future is. Does he find someone from here or someone who's come here?"
Building on sentiments he shared during the previous day’s panel, Morales praised the Kazakh capital for its uniqueness.
“When you have a city like Astana, it’s not as well known to the rest of the world. It offers you the opportunity to see shapes and colors and even faces that we don’t always see in the West,” he said.
