Cinema Of Turkmenistan
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The cinema of Turkmenistan dates back to the 1920s, when the country was within the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Since independence in 1991,
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
has had the most limited film production industry of any
Central Asian Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
state.


History


Early years - 1920s and 30s

The first documentary to be produced in Turkmenistan itself was ''Provozglashenie Turkmenskoi SSR'' (Proclamation of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic) in 1925, by Sergei Lebedev and Boris Bashem, two Russian cameramen from the
Sevzapkino Lenfilm (, acronym of Leningrad Films) is a Russian production and distribution company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes sha ...
film studio in
Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. On 7 February 1926, The Council of People’s Commissars of the Turkmen SSR issued a decree to establish a "film-factory". The '' Ashgabat Kinofabrica'' was accordingly founded in Turkmenistan's capital city the following year, and their output consisted exclusively of documentaries, propaganda films and newsreels. Their exhibitions were often accompanied by educational lectures on the themes and Swetlana Slapke, former cultural historian at the
Humboldt University The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public university, public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick W ...
deems the productions to have been uniformly characterized by "propaganda and ideological tendentiousness". The first feature-length documentary to be produced from Kinofabrica was Alexander Vladychuk's ''Beloe Zeloto'' (White Gold) in 1929, which focused on
collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
in the cotton industry. The same year, Yevgeni Ivanov-Barkov made a successful film Judas'','' but left the industry soon''.'' In 1930, the first feature film '' Zemlya Zhazhdet'' (The Earth is Thirsty) was produced by
Yuli Raizman Yuli Yakovlevich Raizman (; December 15, 1903 – December 11, 1994) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and Pedagogy, pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1964) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1973). Career In 1924 he became a ...
; it was about five Komsomol enthusiasts fertilizing the desert scapes amidst all adversities and bringing in a communist transformation. This film was made for ''Vostokkino'' and was originally silent, but had a soundtrack added a few months later for public consumption. In the 1930s, numerous local director and cameramen - Vladimir Lavrov, Djavanshir Mamedov, Nikolai Mikhailovich Kopysov, Djuma Nepesov and Shadurdy Annaev - joined the studio. The first feature-length sound-film was Alexander Ledashchev's I'll Be Back (1935), which was based on Oraz Tachnazarov’s epic theater-drama ''Batrak'' about the trials of a young laborer. Its release was accompanied by festive screenings, involving a military brass band. Slapke notes that the film left a strong impression upon the audience for "it was the first feature film in their lives and about their lives".


1940s

In 1939, the ''Kinofabrica'' was reorganized as Turkmenfilm Studio. The first film shot at the new studio was ''Dursun'' (1940), directed by Yevgeni Ivanov-Barkov, who returned after about a decade and would go on to become a keystone figure in the initial development of Turkmen national cinema. The film had a complex-layered plot centered around a traditional elite man Nury (played by
Alty Karliev Alty Karliev (January 6, 1909December 11, 1973) was a Soviet and Turkmen stage and film actor, director and dramatist. He studied at the Turkmen Drama Studio and the Baku Theatre College (today the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts ...
) coming to terms with his wife Dursun (played by Nina Alisova) subverting gendered stereotypes, after she joins the Communist Party's Youth League. The film was based on a careful study of Turkmen culture and traditions; Karliev won a Stalin prize and has since considered it to be his best role. Slapke deems the film to be his most impressive work. Apart from Nina, all other actors were of Turkmen descent and had no prior experience in cinema. In 1941, the
Kiev Film Studio The Dovzhenko Film Studios () is a former Soviet film production studio in UkrSSR and Ukraine that was named after the Soviet film producer, Oleksandr Dovzhenko, in 1957. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the studio became a property of the g ...
was evacuated to Ashgabat as a result of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Ukrainian directors of repute partnered with the Turkmenfilm to make newsreels and other films; Ivanov-Barkov produced The Procurator (1941) during these spans. Slapke argues that there was a noticeable improvement in the professional - and especially technical - competence of Turkmen film-makers during this span. The first film after the War was Ivanov-Barkov's The Distant Bride (1948), a musical comedy which was met with widespread popular reception across the Soviet Union with Karliev winning another Stalin prize; it remains his most popular film though Slapke and others have since taken a poor view of the work''.'' The Turkmen cinema industry virtually ceased to exist months later, when the Turkmenfilm building was destroyed in the
1948 Ashgabat earthquake The 1948 Ashgabat earthquake was on 6 October with a surface-wave magnitude of 7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''), in Turkmenistan near Ashgabat. Due to censorship by the Soviet government, the event was not widely reporte ...
; among the casualties were numerous film artists. Nearby studios in
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
and
Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...
(since located in other Central Asian nations) produced very small number of newsreels and documentaries on Turkmen themes during these times.


1950s

The Turkmenfilm studio was rebuilt in the 1950s, and it began producing feature films again. The first post-reconstruction films were by Rafail Perelshtein — The Shepherd's Son (1954) and The Cunning of Old Ashir (1955). The 50s saw the rise of
Alty Karliev Alty Karliev (January 6, 1909December 11, 1973) was a Soviet and Turkmen stage and film actor, director and dramatist. He studied at the Turkmen Drama Studio and the Baku Theatre College (today the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts ...
as a director, whom Slapke describes as the indisputable founder of Turkmen national cinema. Coming from a background of popular theater and having made a name for himself as an actor reflecting national spirits, he co-produced the first colour film ''Extraordinary Mission'' in 1957 with Ivanov-Barkov about the exploits of a state-agent during the
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
. ''Ayna'' (1960) was his next directorial venture covering the complex travails of a young female communist during the times of
collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
. Slapke notes both of them to be unpersuasive, in nature. He was the artistic director of Turkmenfilm Studio from 1956 to 1960.


1960s

The 1960s was a significant decade for Turkmen filmmaking. In 1961, the Central Committee of the Turkmen Communist Party issued a decree titled “On Major Insufficiencies in the Work of Turkmenfilm” which led to more people joining the cinema industry. Where previously, most of the films produced in the Turkmen studio had involvement from Russian and Ukrainian directors, now, a new generation of Turkmen filmmakers — the first Turkmen graduates of the
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, officially the S. A. Gerasimov All-Russian University of Cinematography (, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov''), a.k.a. VGIK, is a film school in Moscow, ...
( Yazgeldy Seidov, Kurban Yazhanov, Murad Kurbanklychev,
Khodzhakuli Narliev Hojaguly Narliyev (; born 21 January 1937 in Ashkhabad, Turkmen SSR, USSR), also known as Khodzhakuli Narliev, is a Turkmen film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer, and the first secretary of the Film Union of Turkmenistan. Narliev gradua ...
, Mukhamed Soiunkhanov et al) — emerged, and were subsequently responsible for most of the Turkenfilm productions. Also,
Khrushchev Thaw The Khrushchev Thaw (, or simply ''ottepel'')William Taubman, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, London: Free Press, 2004 is the period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s when Political repression in the Soviet Union, repression and Censorship in ...
changed the cultural scapes in that artistic freedom increased vastly and Union of Cinematographers of Turkmenistan was set up in 1965. Thus, Bulat Mansurov's student-diploma work Contest (1963) became the first Turkmen film to gain international attention, and simultaneously birthed poetic cinema. Deriving from Nurmurat Sarykhanov's novel ''Shukur-Bakhshi'' about a musician who travels to enemy territory to champion peace, Mansurov tackled the perpetual duel between good and evil and the need of state to wield power over subjects. Aman Khandurdyev and Khodjan Ovezgelenov who played the lead roles were amateurs but pulled off highly convincing and impressive performances;
Nury Halmammedov Nurmammet Halmammedovich Halmammedov (; ; 20 June 1938– 4 August 1983), also known as Nury Halmammedov (; ) or Nury Halmammet (; ), was a prominent Turkmen composer described as one of Turkmenistan's "Greatest Sons". His legacy has been commem ...
's tragic score has since become a classic and
Khodzhakuli Narliev Hojaguly Narliyev (; born 21 January 1937 in Ashkhabad, Turkmen SSR, USSR), also known as Khodzhakuli Narliev, is a Turkmen film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer, and the first secretary of the Film Union of Turkmenistan. Narliev gradua ...
(though, of Soviet descent) made his name as a cameraman. Mansurov went on to produce Quenching the Thirst (1966) based on a novel by
Yuri Trifonov Yury Valentinovich Trifonov (; 28 August 1925 – 28 March 1981) was a leading representative of the so-called Soviet "Urban Prose". He was considered a close contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981. Childhood and family Trifonov w ...
covering the friendship between workers who built the
Karakum Canal The Karakum Canal (Qaraqum Canal, Kara Kum Canal, Garagum Canal; , ''Karakumskiy Kanal'', , , ) in Turkmenistan is one of the largest irrigation and water supply canals in the world. Started in 1954, and completed in 1988, it is navigable over ...
and The Slave Girl (1968) based on a short story by
Andrei Platonov Andrei Platonovich Platonov ( rus, Андрей Платонович Платонов, , ɐnˈdrʲej plɐˈtonəvʲɪtɕ plɐˈtonəf; []; – 5 January 1951) was a Soviet Russian people, Russian novelist, short story writer, philosopher, play ...
covering the emancipation of a girl from slavery; both had Narliev as cameraman. The films generated public interest but were creatively poorer, per Slapke. Peter Rollberg, Professor of Slavic Languages and Film Studies at
George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
however deems the former to have had introduced a "daring visual style" and notes that critics hold the latter to be his best work''.'' Mansurov's last film (in Turkmenistan) was a WWII parable There Is No Death, Pals (1970) before he emigrated to Kazakshtan and then,
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
where he continued to direct and produce films. In 1965, Karliev directed The Decisive Step based on
Berdi Kerbabayev Berdi Muradovich Kerbabayev (; ; 3 March 1894 – 3 March 1974) was a Soviet and Turkmen writer, the national writer of the Turkmen SSR, an academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR and a member of the Communist Party of the So ...
's work about a young Turkmen labourer searching for love and justice during the tectonic shifts in historical consciousness happening across the aftermath of
October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
and
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. The film had an accurate representation of Turkmen life, Baba Annanov and Artyk Djallyev were superb in their lead roles, and
Nury Halmammedov Nurmammet Halmammedovich Halmammedov (; ; 20 June 1938– 4 August 1983), also known as Nury Halmammedov (; ) or Nury Halmammet (; ), was a prominent Turkmen composer described as one of Turkmenistan's "Greatest Sons". His legacy has been commem ...
's score blending Turkmen folk motifs with European symphony was impressive as well. Widely considered to be his magisterial work, it has since gained a cult status. Karliev went on to produce two more biographical films — Magtymguly (1968, starring Khommat Mullyk and Mukhammed Cherkezov) about
Magtymguly Pyragy Magtymguly Pyragy ( ''Makhdumqoli Farāghi''; , ; , born Magtymguly, was an Iranian-Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet, Sufism, Sufi and traveller, who is considered the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history. Magtymguly is ...
and The Secrets of Maqam (1974) about Karkara — which were met with popular success but were dramaturgically inferior; his last work was The Border is Behind the River (1971).


1970s and 80s

The 70s saw the rise of
Khodzhakuli Narliev Hojaguly Narliyev (; born 21 January 1937 in Ashkhabad, Turkmen SSR, USSR), also known as Khodzhakuli Narliev, is a Turkmen film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer, and the first secretary of the Film Union of Turkmenistan. Narliev gradua ...
as a director. Narliev's signature style of film-making — low, barren, mono-toned and deceptively simplistic yet richly poetic, capturing the dignified eternal lives of Turkmen women in all its intricate tragic grinds yet compelling the audience to reflect and hope for better — won many critics, who often deemed of him as the Turkmen
Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
. He was to head the film union from 1976 (won unanimously) to 1998, significantly improving the now-renamed Alty Karliev Turkmenfilm Studio and commanded tremendous influence in the film industry. A student of
Boris Volchek Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name * *List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) Arts and media * Boris (band), a Japanese experimental rock trio * ''Boris'' (EP), by Yezda Urfa, 1975 * "Boris" (son ...
and already an acclaimed cameraman, his first directorial venture was Man Overboard (1969) about the moral conflict of a fisherman who failed to save his friend from the seas; Slapke found it to be a sincere and impressive debut. He garnered critical acclaim for his next film ''Nevestka'' (Daughter-in-Law) which is widely considered as the zenith of Turkmen cinema. Featuring Maya-Gozel Aimedova (who would feature in each of his film, and be his future-wife) in lead role as a widow who engages in an eternal wait for her (dead) soldier-husband and refuses to remarry in her bid to remain loyal to the idea of love whilst taking care of her father-in-law. His next film was When a Woman Saddles a Horse (1974, Aimedova wrote the script), a historical drama modeled on one of his relative, a pioneer female revolutionary and which portrayed the difficulties of an oriental woman in bringing structural changes within a society. You Must be Able to Say No (1976) was a pamphlet against the tradition of bride-purchase. Both the films were an antithesis to the atypical traditionalist themes found in his works in that he rejected blind allegiance to traditions; the former was dedicated to Ene Kuliyeva, the head of the first Women’s Section (Zhenotdel) of Soviet Turkmenistan. In 1980, Narliev directed Jamal’s Tree (Aimedova wrote the script) in what Slapke deems as his ode to all Turkmen mothers, it portrayed the sacrifices of a lady in her continued abidance by traditional structures even at times when they were of no particular use and thus being the custodian of life. In '82 he directed Karakum: 45˚ C in the Shade drawing from Mansurov's earlier work. In 1984, Narliev, at the request of the republican leadership, directed a biographical film Fragi, Deprived of Happiness on the event of the 250th birth anniversary of
Magtymguly Pyragy Magtymguly Pyragy ( ''Makhdumqoli Farāghi''; , ; , born Magtymguly, was an Iranian-Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet, Sufism, Sufi and traveller, who is considered the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history. Magtymguly is ...
. The two-part film covered the early life of the philosopher (esp. his tragic love for a childhood romantic interest) and met popular success as well as critical acclaim. In 1982, Usman Saparov made his name as a children's film director, debuting with The Masculine Upbringing which had a highly successful run, and won him a USSR State Prize. In 1989, he directed ''Halima'' documenting the reality of Turkmen life characterized by corruption and moral decay. Several other films and documentaries (about five full-length features, several animates shorts and about 50 dubs of foreign films, every year) were produced in these two decades which are since considered to be the heyday of Turkmen cinema, with over 900 functioning projectors in the republic. A monthly news almanac (Soviet Turkmenistan) and a satirical almanac (The Spear) were published by Turkenfilm, as well.


1990s-present


Early 90s

Narliev's last film was Mankurt (1990) was a cross-country venture featuring crew from Turkey and Libya and was partially filmed in Syria as well as Turkey. Based on a narrative strand from
The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years ''The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years'' (, "And longer than a century lasts a day"), originally published in Russian in the ''Novy Mir'' literary magazine in 1980, is a novel written by the Kyrgyz author Chinghiz Aitmatov. The novel was incl ...
(1980) by
Chinghiz Aitmatov Chinghiz Torekulovich Aitmatov (12 December 1928 – 10 June 2008) was a Kyrgyz author who wrote mainly in Russian, but also in Kyrgyz. He is one of the best known figures in Kyrgyzstan's literature. Life He was born to a Kyrgyz father and Ta ...
(who suggested the screenplay), it drew from the Turkic legends of
Mankurt Mankurts are unthinking slaves in Chinghiz Aitmatov's novel '' The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years''. After the novel, in the Soviet Union the word came to refer to people who have lost touch with their ethnic homeland, who have forgotten t ...
, in depicting a non-traditional Turkman who fails to defend his homeland from invasion by Chinese troops. Afterwards, as he is captured, tortured, and brainwashed into serving the invaders, he is so completely turned that he even fails to recognise his mother (portrayed by Aimedova) and murders her, when she attempts to rescue him. Then First Secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party,
Saparmurat Niyazov Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006) was a Turkmenistani politician who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the Secretary (title), first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenist ...
who was increasingly becoming authoritarian took umbrage with the film, and banned its distribution. After Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991, the film movement initially flourished. Seminars and workshops were held for Central Asian cinema artists, the film-studio was set to be expanded in the outskirts of Ashkabad (for reconstructing an ''
aul An aul; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (; ) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are generally built out of stone, on faces of ridges or against cliffs in order to provide protection against su ...
'') with grants from Moscow, and a new generation of directors — Shikhmurat Annamuratov, Sergei Shchugarev, Biulbiul Mamedov, Khalmamed Kakabaev, Kerim Annanov, Murat Aliev, Eduard Redzhepov, Bairam Abdullayev et al — were gradually taking over the legacy of Narliev. Saparov’s Little Angel, Make Me Happy (1992) narrated the tale of a boy who was left behind in a post-WWII purge of German villagers, and went on to receive the most prestigious award in the children’s category at the
43rd Berlin International Film Festival The 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1993. The Golden Bear was jointly awarded to American-Taiwanese film '' The Wedding Banquet'' directed by Ang Lee and Chinese film '' Woman Sesame Oil Maker'' di ...
. Other films of the 90s include Legend of My Youth (1992), ''Karakum'' (dir. Saparaov, 1994), The Soul is Burnt Out (1995), Fragrance of Wishes (dir. Shchugarev, 1996), Repentance (dir. Kakabaev, 1996) and Children of the Earthquake (dir. Aliev, 1997).


Late 90s and early 2000s

However by the late 90s,
Saparmurat Niyazov Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006) was a Turkmenistani politician who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the Secretary (title), first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenist ...
's (now, President)
atavistic In biology, an atavism is a modification of a biological traits structure or behavior whereby an ancestral genetic trait reappears after having been lost through evolutionary change in previous generations. Atavisms can occur in several ways, ...
and totalitarian reign was at its peak, the country was increasingly isolationist, and all forms of art bearing no relationship to traditional folklore were censored. Filmmakers were forced to engage in government propaganda or stand accused of lacking patriotism and face financial difficulties. Many chose to emigrate Moscow-wards (Narliev, Saparaov, Aliev et al) while some (Kakabaev et al) conformed. The Union of Cinematographers was dissolved in 1998; the Turkmenfilm studio was demolished a year or two earlier to construct a highway (or variably, a sports-stadium). In 1999, Baba Annanov's son Kerim Annanov directed Legend, a 90-minute long parable-cinema, in what was the last film under Niyazov-presidency; Slapke remarked of this to be a fine example of Soviet cinematography. About a father who tries to stop his sons from infighting in order to establish a peaceful life before succumbing to failure, Niyazov sensed parallels with Mankurt and banned distribution. Film production in Turkmenistan virtually ceased thereafter and the very occasional cinematic activity were restricted to consulate-arranged film screenings. Contemporary cinematic forms failed to develop unlike other Central Asian republics. In 2003 the film studio, having a paper-existence and downgraded to a mere association of film-producers, was merged with Turkmen Television into "Turkmentelekinofilm". In 2006, Kakabaev, a pro-regime director asserted that there were 20 active feature-film makers, but they lacked the possibility of shooting 35-mm films; an Academy of Fine Arts was scheduled to have its first graduates in artistic film making that year.


Berdimuhamedow and present

Restrictions relaxed after
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957) is a Turkmen politician and former dentist who is currently the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan. He previously served as the second president of Turkmenistan from ...
ascended to the
presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...
upon Niyazov's death in December, 2006. Restoration of old classics began and unused cinema halls were refurbished back. In 2007, the film-studio was reinstated and renamed after
Oghuz Khagan Oghuz Khagan or Oghuz Khan (; ; ) is a legendary khan of the Turkic people and an eponymous ancestor of Oghuz Turks. Some Turkic cultures use the legend of Oghuz Khan to describe their ethnic and tribal origins. The various versions of the narra ...
; an international film festival was held at Ashgabat in 2008. Film production was resumed (circa 2010) with state patronage. Kerim Annanov directed a short film Autumn in 2009. In August 2010, Berdimuhamedow urged Turkmentelekinofilm to establish cooperation with major film companies of the world, and create a new movie about Turkmenistan. A 3D theater was opened in 2011 and another two in 2012; a 3D film was produced, as well. Films of other countries are being screened regularly since around 2010, as are old Turkmen classics; state-owned TV channels broadcast them as well. In 2012, a film was produced on
Golden Age Lake ''Golden Age Lake'', known as Altyn Asyr köli locally, alternatively as Karakum Lake, is a man-made lake under construction in the Karashor depression in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan. Upon completion, the lake will span with a maximum d ...
at Berdimuhamedow's request. On the occasion of the eighth Eurasia International Film Festival at
Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
, artistic director Gulnara Abikeyeva noted that she did not receive any film from Turkmenistan and while film-making had recently resumed in Turkmenistan, it was limited to historical themes. In 2013, a feature was produced. In 2015, another feature was produced chronicling a young engineer employed in the construction of Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway. In 2016, a law was passed that laid down parameters on deeming films as "national" (or not) and accordingly, promote and conserve them on behalf of the state; creative freedom was however guaranteed in all cases. In 2017, a feature film was produced about Turkmen's fondness of breeding horses. In 2020, three feature films were produced on the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan vouching at the UN to maintain neutrality in all political conflicts; another was made on a book written by Berdimuhamedow.


See also

* List of Turkmenistan films * Cinema of Central Asia


Further reading

* Primary sources and film-reels can be obtained from ''The Central State Archive of Cinema and Photo Documents''. However, the institution routinely denies access-requests even from scholars of
film studies Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various film theory, theoretical, history of film, historical, and film criticism, critical approaches to film, cinema as an art form and a medium. It is sometimes subsumed within media stud ...
.


Notes


References

{{Asia in topic, Cinema of