The Kyrgyz Miracle
Between the 1960s and the 1980s such beautiful short films were made in Kyrgyzstan, that this was referred to as the ‘Kyrgyz Miracle’. Many were never screened in the Netherlands. Saodat Ismailova created a special selection of short films especially for her exhibition ‘18,000 Worlds’.
‘The Kyrgyz Miracle’ developed during the Soviet era, the height of Central Asian filmmaking. Many filmmakers were inspired by the works of Kyrgyz author Djengis Aitmatov. Most of the films are documentary in nature and portray the Kyrgyz way of life using astoundingly beautiful footage of the landscape, the culture and people’s daily lives. The Soviet Union’s collapse brought this golden age of regional film to an end. These Soviet era-films have since languished unscreened.
Saodat Ismailova: I am happy that we have the possibility to show these undiscovered films from Central Asia. These are short or mid-length films, that have a form between fiction and documentary. Several interesting filmmakers who would usually make feature films, would make a mid-length film that would become part of the Kyrgyz Miracle.'
Saodat Ismailova’s exhibition 18,000 Worlds, which features installations and video works, explores the invisible foundations of Central Asia. Using personal and collective memories she links myths and the region’s recent history examining the healing effects of spiritual heritage.
See the exhibition page for the other public programmes accompanying the exhibition and the screenings of Central Asian films selected by Saodat Ismailova. Films especially selected for 18,000 Worlds will also be available on Eye Film Player.
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Eye on Art is a programme on the intersection between film and other arts. Eye on Art keeps up with current events, with presentations on contemporary artists and programmes that coincide with important exhibitions, manifestations and Eye activities.
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