On the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border, drug trafficker Aza meets Nazik, a woman on the run from human traffickers. Against his better judgment, he helps her to escape, but nothing goes as planned. Summoning up his last threads of dignity, Aza is determined to do the right thing in this gripping thriller.

Director Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi’s taut film was inspired by a real-life incident in which his own brother was abducted by traffickers at age 16. Taking viewers to the little seen Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border country, Deal at the Border is an intense and surprisingly beautiful film that will linger in your memory for days.

Content advisory: violence, mature themes