Gaining the wings, remember your roots

Challenge

Our strategic objective was to present the new terminal of Almaty International Airport as a key symbol of Kazakhstan’s and Central Asia’s development. The task went beyond demonstrating the scale of an infrastructure project: we needed to give it an emotional dimension and show that behind advanced technologies stand values deeply meaningful to every Kazakh citizen - memory of the past, continuity between generations, and openness to the world.

Idea

Before developing the creative concept, we conducted extensive research into historical archives and materials. Our findings surprised even the client: the very first civil flight in Almaty took place exactly 100 years ago, in 1924. This symbolic centenary became the foundation of the narrative, bridging past and present. The power of this date gave the story both emotional depth and historical scale.

Solution

At the heart of the storytelling lay the theme of generational continuity, revealed through the personal story of a father and son. This intimate narrative served as the emotional thread through which the values of memory and respect for the past were expressed.

The paper airplane was chosen as the central symbol - a metaphor connecting generations and eras, tracing a path across time from 1924 to 2024.

Music played a central role in deepening this idea. Composer Robert Ziganshin created an original score, “Time Flies”, built around the reflection that while years pass quickly, true values - memory, love, and the bond between generations - remain unchanged.

Execution

Achieving authenticity required the utmost precision. With the support of historians and consultants, each era was recreated with meticulous attention to costumes, props, and set design.

The music was designed as a narrative backbone of the film:

- Beginning with airy textures that conveyed lightness and flight.

- Gradually enriched by Kazakh instruments: dombyra, kobyz, shan-kobyz, combined with analog synthesizers and bass guitar.

- Each instrument appeared in rhythm with visual transitions, emphasizing the change of eras and the dynamics of the story.

- The score was built as a continuous musical flow, where every harmony and texture contributed to the feeling of time passing and values enduring.

Result

The corporate film became the centerpiece of the terminal’s launch campaign and reinforced the perception of the brand as both modern and progressive, while firmly rooted in national culture and heritage.

The original score tied the entire narrative together, setting the rhythm of the story and amplifying its emotional resonance. It elevated the film beyond an infrastructure presentation into a cultural statement, striking a chord with audiences in Kazakhstan and internationally.