Born in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan in 1961, he studied at the Institute for Russian language and Culture and subsequently worked as a schoolteacher for five years. He joined Kyrgyzfilm Studios as a production manager and location manager in 1988; in the same period he also worked on a satirical film magazine named "Korogoch". He later became an editor and assistant director and has now been working as a director since 1993. Saratan marks his debut as a feature film director.
