Aksuat is the name of a village in Kazakhstan, where Kanat takes his pregnant wife Zhanna to visit his brother, Aman. Just after the baby is born, Kanat is thrown into jail after a fight with a policeman, so Aman has to take care of Zhanna and gets the gossip and disapprovals of the village. Aman loses his status, but learns a thing or two about life.—Jos Fonteijn <[email protected]>