The Haunted (dir. Saodat Ismailova)

The Haunted is an imaginary encounter with extinct Turkestan tiger, that fell as a victim during colonization of Central Asia. Today the tiger keeps on living in the collective memory and dreams of local people, as a sacred archetype.

Tashkent 58-88 (dir. Zumrad Mirzalieva)

Tashkent 58–88 revisits the Tashkent Film Festival of African, Asian, and Latin American Cinema through archival footage and film excerpts. The festival, both a Soviet soft-power project and a performative stage for anti-colonial solidarity, embodied a striking paradox. The film unpacks this tension, revealing how celebration and struggle coexisted within the politics of south-to-south cinema.

Apat (dir. Nazira Karimi)

APAT explores themes of extinction in the context of colonization and post-colonial existence, examining the impacts of natural disasters, cultural damage, and memory loss.

Using found footage alongside Karimi’s family archives, the film tells the artist’s personal history-a story yet to be reclaimed. Her journey mirrors the coming of age and independence of her people and the region, reflecting the connection between individual memory and collective identity.

Long Distance (dir. Alina Baitokova)

A young filmmaker sets out to find the father she’s never met. Guided only by her mother’s fragmented memories and an old address, Alina embarks on a long, wintry drive filled with doubt, reflection, and fleeting encounters. When she finally reaches his village, she learns he now lives closer than she ever imagined.