Arsenal's film archive holds around 50 films from Central Asia dating back to the second half of the 20th century and offering a vivid portrayal of the region’s evolving political, cultural, and artistic landscapes. While Soviet-era cinema adhered to dominant ideological narratives, a closer look reveals an undercurrent of loss, resilience, and subtle resistance. Revisiting these films is an active engagement with memory, not just retrospection. The archive preserves time but also continually dynamically evolves and raises new questions. When viewing these films today, one can encounter not only Soviet colonial narratives but also the ways individuals resisted and reimagined life beyond those constraints.

WHOSE VOICE IS THIS? is a result of a deep engagement with the Arsenal's film archive, reconstructing and uncovering half-forgotten materials. The program offers an opportunity for the research to travel to Central Asia and delve deeper into these topics. How can we reclaim our narratives? How do we move beyond the frameworks that once shaped us? These questions continue to resonate as we reintroduce these films, offering new possibilities for Central Asian cinema today.

The program features three film programs that connect the Arsenal film collection with contemporary Central Asian films reimagining archives. Additionally, a panel discussion will explore ways of engagement with film archives.

Curated by Kazakh artist Dana Iskakova and Uzbek filmmaker and artist Saodat Ismailova, "WHOSE VOICE IS THIS? – Archival Finds from Central Asia" is a collaboration of Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art, Central Asian Research Collective DAVRA, and Goethe-Institut Uzbekistan.  

We would like to thank Qazaqfilm, Kyrgyzfilm, and the Cinematography Agency of Uzbekistan for their cooperation in obtaining permits for film screenings. Special thanks to Sharofat Arabova and Evgeniya Romanova-Bortman for help.

March 28

1. Daughter-in-law | Gelin (1972, Khodjakuli Narliev, Turkmen SSR, 75 min)

2. Adonis XIV (1977/1986, Bako Sadykov, Tajik SSR, 10 min)

3. 1997 – Rustem’s Notes with Drawings (1998, Ardak Amirkulov, Kazakhstan, 79 min)

March 29

Program of the Central Asian Soviet Animation

1. The Golden Saqa (1976, Bolat Omarov, Kazakh SSR, 10 min)

2. Alim and His Donkey (1978, Akmal Akbarkhodjaev, Uzbek SSR, 10 min)

3. Kanbak shal – Old Man Tumbleweed (1979, Bolat Omarov, Kazakh SSR, 10 min)

4. The Poor Man's Daughter and the Idiot Son (1981, Damir Salimov, Uzbek SSR, 10 min)

5. Three Masters (1981, Bolat Omarov, Kazakh SSR, 10 min)

6. Tolubai Synchy (1983, Sagynbek Ishenov, Kyrgyz SSR, 10 min)

7. The Mouse Princess (1983, Irina Krivosheeva, Uzbek SSR, 10 min)

Panel discussion on film archives of Uzbekistan and Central Asia, film preservation, archive accessibility, and the role of artistic production in archival practice

Speakers:

• Nigora Karimova

Film scholar, professor, doctor of Arts (Ds). Head of the Cinema and Television Department of the Institute of Art Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzoekistan. Member of FIPRESCI.

• Saodat Ismailova

Artist and filmmaker, DAVRA Research Collective

• Ella Shechter

Project coordinator, Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art

• Dana Iskakova

Artist and cultural worker, DAVRA Research Collective

Films by artist members of DAVRA based on archival materials from Central Asian cinema

1. Her Right (2020, Saodat Ismailova, 15 min)

2. Her Five Lives (2020, Saodat Ismailova, 14 min)

3. Apat (2023, Nazira Karimi, 6 min)

4. Egiz Ishek | Twin Strings (2025, Aida Adilbek, 12 min)

5. Tashkent 58-88 (2024, Zumrad Mirzalieva, 18 min)

6. Whose Voice Is This? (2024, Dana Iskakova, 14 min)