Thursday, May 17, 2012 -
Kazakh authorities in the capital Astana, looking to create a national superhero, on Wednesday announced a competition to create one.
Scores of competitors will participate in the contest to create the image of a superhero, perhaps along the lines of Superman, Catwoman, Hercules, or Captain America.
He or she "should become the symbol of the young, energetic, vibrant capital of Kazakhstan,” the capital’s local government site astana.kz said.
“The character must be original, special, close in spirit to the Kazakh people, realize its values and ideals that reflect its history, culture, traditions and customs”.
The winning hero should have a biography, costume, appearance, and character and will be named “Astana”.
The three-day contest will be held from July 1 to coincide with the Astana International Action Film Festival.
Competitors may use animation, comics, costumes, or video to present their character.
The winner will be announced on July 3 at the close of the movie festival.
The Kazakh word “Astana” means “capital”. President Nursultan Nazarbayev relocated the country’s capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997.