Like Me

The debut novella by screenwriter and director Islam Khanipaev is written from the perspective of an eight-year-old boy living in Makhachkala. Having lost his mother and facing bullying at school, the protagonist finds support in an imaginary friend — Cool Ali. He is preparing to become a "great warrior" and sets off in search of his father.
This is not only a story about trauma and its overcoming, but it is also a book about growing up and the protagonist's acceptance of difficult truths, in which you believe and empathize unconditionally.