A documentary film entitled “Dreamers”, released by BWG Production in Uzbekistan, has won the award for “Best Historical Film of December” at the World Film Festival in Cannes, France. This win opens the door for the movie to compete for the festival’s prized “Film of the Year” title.
Ruslan Saliev, the film’s director, hailed the success as extraordinary for Uzbek film. He was confident that Dreamers, which explores the nation’s historical suffering, would strike a chord with viewers around the world. Saliev emphasized the value of these festivals in showcasing the nation’s cultural legacy abroad. He also hoped for the chance to represent Uzbekistan at more international film festivals.
“The use of reconstructions and art installations as a modern artistic interpretation in the documentary film Dreamers [should] be considered a positive experience,” explained Uzbek film critic Mohinur Ahmetjonova. “Of course, this approach doesn’t always fully reveal the [true] reality, but it gives an effective result in creating a general representation. But when it comes to covering the historical truth, it is noticeable that there is an attempt to avoid the bloody past and to present the atrocities that happened in a [softer light]. It’s no coincidence that the approach of trying to describe the achievements of the period has caused several objections by historians and film experts.”
“The fact that the filmmakers tried to combine large-scale events in one film gives the impression that they were a little distracted from the original goal… in general, in this period when new views on history are being formed, it’s natural that there are different opposing opinions about the film,” Ahmetjonova added.
Dreamers won the prize over the English film The Shamrock Spitfire, which tells the story of an Irish military pilot during WWII.
