The latest example of an intriguing dribble of films emerging from former Soviet republics in Central Asia, here we have an engaging, small-scale story about a Kyrgyz electrician called Svet-Ake (the "light thief" of the title), who is expert in tapping the electricity supply to provide for his hard-up village. Director-star Aktan Arym Kubat has come up with an illuminating parable about the clash of tradition and modernity: Svet-Ake finds himself a pawn in a bigger game, as besuited businessman Bekzat (Askat Sulaimanov) attempts to get himself elected as the local deputy, with dark plans to grab hold of land ownership. Kubat is a relaxed screen presence, and his film meanders along – until the jolt-ending, that, in truth, seems slightly out of step with what has gone before.