Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Development of Kazakhstan’s Cinematography: An Inside Look – An Interview with Kazakh Actor, Abay Kazbayev, on Kazakhstan’s Film Industry and its Prospects for Development

Kazakhstan's film industry is attracting more and more attention globally, and many talented actors are contributing to its development. One such theater and film actor is Abay Kazbayev, who agreed to share his experience and vision of the industry. How did you start in the industry? I have no specialized education, but I’m constantly learning. I started to explore a career path as an actor at the age of 33, after trying my hand in many different fields. I’m now actively engaged in developing my range, from plasticity to internal monologue. To date, I’ve worked on series such as Shahristan, Upperty, and Shabashniki. Shooting the latter, I had to shave my head for the role, which looked strange. In general, I like to experiment on the image. It’s interesting to observe the change of type. I also worked on two theater projects, on one of which I was lucky enough to work with Saulius Varnas, a European theater director. He staged the play, A House in the Middle of Spring, based on Eugene Ionesco's script, Hunger and Thirst. On this project, I worked with such professionals as Marat Amiraev, Altynshash Shayakhmetova, Sharim Dostay, and others. In my second theater project, I had the lead role, but, unfortunately, we managed to stage just one private performance. (Shakhrisatn is a Kazakh detective thriller from 2023; Marat Amiraev is a famous Kazakh actor who starred in such series as 5:32 and Prisoners; Altynshash Shayakhmetova is a Kazakh actress who starred in such series as Boztorgai and Bir Toksan.) How do you perceive the evolution of Kazakhstan's cinematography over the past decades? What key changes have taken place, in your opinion? It is difficult to talk about decades, as ten years ago, I was in a completely different sphere. But I can say that coming to the movie theater I can now watch one or two of our domestic films, which certainly pleases me. Ten or twenty years ago, the release of a Kazakhstani film in theaters was something of an event, but it’s now become the norm. Many people criticize our movies for being limited to comedies and crime dramas but I for one, greatly enjoy movies such as Business in the Kazakh Way. It is still too early to talk about (local movies) as an industry, since to my mind, it doesn’t exist as such. Having said that, we have plenty of people engaged in creating movies: directors, producers, actors, - actors turned directors, actors turned producers, and vice versa. A highlight for me, was the movie Nomad. Released about twenty years ago, it ignited the dreams of many aspiring artists many of whom have since made a name for themselves, including Sanjar Madi, who starred in many of its scenes. Other key events include Akan Satayev's The Racketeer which came out a few years after Nomad, followed by Farhat Sharipov's The Tale of the Pink Hare. Both provided a wave of new faces and young blood to...

Central Asia’s Scorecard on Women’s Rights and Welfare

Women's rights differ significantly around the world, with progress varying greatly from one country to another. Some states have advanced gender equality significantly through strong legal systems and policies while others are hindered by cultural norms and a lack of political commitment. In Central Asia, each of the young nations has shown a different level of progress on women's rights and welfare, which requires consideration in individual, regional and global contexts. Kazakhstan’s new and comprehensive law on strengthening protections for women and children’s rights, adopted on April 15 to international fanfare, highlighted the larger issue of women’s status in Central Asia. The legislation was driven by a 2023 Presidential Decree for a Human Rights Action Plan that brought Kazakhstan in compliance with OECD standards. Another piece of relatively recent positive news from the region came in April 2023 when Uzbekistan’s parliament passed new legislation specifying domestic violence as a criminal offense under the law and strengthening 2019 provisions that indirectly address domestic violence. Yet even when there are laws in place to protect women, ensuring their implementation remains critical. For this to happen, laws should first clearly define what constitutes domestic violence so that crimes can be classified and prosecuted as such. As a benchmark, OECD standards close gaps in legally prosecuting such violence by encompassing this classification to include domestic violence against women and children. Kazakhstan has conformed to this norm in its new legislation and thus holds the best practice in the region. Furthermore, to facilitate enforcement and implementation, Kazakhstan’s recent efforts include placing women in key administerial positions in the police force dealing with violent crimes against women. At a larger scale, the country’s Family and Gender Policy foresees increasing the share of women at decision-making levels across the public and private sectors to 30%. Backing this narrative on Kazakhstan’s upward trajectory from a cultural and social perspective, UNDP’s Gender Social Norms Index Report in 2023 found that Kazakhstan has the lowest levels of gender bias in the region (and incidentally was ranked above the United States in the Gender Inequality Index, which utilized 2021 data as shown below). The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023 also shows significant progress in women’s empowerment in Kazakhstan, which jumped 18 positions in one year to 62nd place globally, particularly through eliminating gender gaps in education levels and increasing women’s political and economic participation. Two other Central Asian countries have some form of legislation concerning domestic violence against women on paper, but progress on their implementation has not always been encouraging. Kyrgyzstan, for instance, adopted legislation on domestic violence in 2003 as well as a new law on this issue in 2017, which has strengthened protection for victims and sought to improve enforcement mechanisms. But according to reports, the legislation has proven difficult to enforce, and perpetrators may still avoid punishment. In 2013, Tajikistan also passed a law that specifically addressed domestic violence and included measures for its prevention, protection, and punishment. This, too, appears to...

Authorities Find Secret Tunnel Connecting Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Another underground passage has been found in the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan, which was being used to illegally transport both people and contraband goods into neighboring Uzbekistan. The suspects involved have been arrested. That's according to a report from news outlet, Kaktus, which references information from the press service of the Department of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan's Osh region. On April 5, officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Osh region arrested a female citizen of Uzbekistan who illegally crossed the Kyrgyz border. During the investigation, it turned out that she crossed the international border into Kyrgyzstan through a secret tunnel connecting the two countries. The police opened a criminal case under Article 168 of the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan on “Organization of illegal migration, illegal importation of migrants.” On the night of April 12, a local citizen was arrested in the Nooken district suspected of organizing illegal crossings of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border for payment. According to police, during the arrest, specially marked currency and night vision binoculars were confiscated. In addition, 87 boxes of narcotics with an initial value of about $30,000 dollars were found in his house. This is the third secret underground passageway discovered, with two secret underground tunnels connecting the city of Khanabad, Andijan region (Uzbekistan), with Bekabad village, Suzok district, Jalalabad region (Kyrgyzstan) having previously been identified. Members of a cross-border criminal group consisting of citizens of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan were captured. On March 17 of this year, a Kyrgyz citizen took a total of 813 mobile phone devices in 16 bags to Uzbekistan using an underground tunnel, and tried to take 1.745 kilograms of gold bars and jewelry out of the country. They were apprehended with physical evidence.

Innovating in Uzbekistan: Council Aims to Nurture Young Scientists

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan has this to say to any young Uzbek citizen interested in science: Step up and collaborate. Uzbekistan’s Council of Young Scientists, or CYS, is seeking to expand the ranks of fledgling scientists, overseeing financial and other support as well as programs to attract researchers. The group, founded in 2017 under a presidential initiative, had more than 10,000 members in 2022 and the number has tripled since then, according to director, Sayyora Saidova. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Saidova talked about the surge of interest in science in Uzbekistan. “Even though the age limit for membership in the organization is 30, scientists under 45 are also members of our organization,” said Saidova, who has a PhD in philosophy. “We are ready to accept every young person interested in science as a member of the organization. In most cases, young scientists apply to CYS to find a scientific supervisor.” The non-governmental group has organized free online and in-person conferences, offering a platform for young people to publish articles that are checked for quality by an editorial board. Young inventors are encouraged through forums and competitions, and it helps to patent their ideas, Saidova said. The council introduced the “PhD sari qadam” (Step to PhD) project through social networks to support aspiring female scientists. In its second season, organizers selected a hundred women who were trained for two months on how to complete a PhD. Saidova spoke to The Times of Central Asia, or TCA, after the project’s closing ceremony on April 5. Dilorom Mamadjanova, a participant in the “PhD sari qadam” project, said Uzbekistan offers adequate opportunities for young researchers. “In our country, as in countries such as Germany, Finland, and the Czech Republic, doctoral students do not pay any fees,” said Mamadjanova, a PhD student at Tashkent State Pedagogical University. However, she pointed out difficulties. “In some higher education institutions, doctoral students are required to come to the university every day, [as] daily attendance is taken,” she said in written remarks to TCA. “I believe that doctoral students should spend time in research facilities for their research work - libraries and similar places useful for dissertation work.” Mamadjanova also noted that there were “small obstacles” when a doctoral student wants to use the database of another university’s library and is required to get a letter of application from his or her own university in order to do so. “I believe that this is a time-consuming, bureaucratic process,” she said. Saidova said the Council of Young Scientists cooperates with the Ministry of Innovation, helping young researchers in chemistry and physics get permission to use laboratories and access international literature. “Although CYS does not have its own fund, it participates in many state and international grants. We directly mediate between international organizations and researchers,” Saidova said. “Last year, the UNICEF organization announced a grant to fight against corruption. CYS brought together all young scientists doing scientific work in this field. The organization directly helped young...

Witchcraft

Tajikistan Takes Steps to Punish Sorcerers and Fortune-Tellers

The authorities in Tajikistan plan to introduce punishment in the form of compulsory labor for up to six months for those involved in fortune-telling, sorcery, or witchcraft. "On the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, inspection and preventive work is continuing to prevent violations related to non-compliance with the requirements of the Laws of the Republic of Tajikistan, 'On the Ordering of Traditions, Celebrations and Rites,' 'On the Responsibility of Parents for the Education and Upbringing of Children,' 'On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations,' and others. In this context, control is exercised over persons practicing witchcraft, illegal religious teachings, Mullo, distributing talismans and amulets, and a single register has been introduced for such persons," the Interior Ministry said in an official statement. Police stated that such violations of the law will be punished more severely in future, with the republic's Interior Ministry considering people engaged in various "occult" businesses as fraudsters. "Persons earning a living by fraud (witchcraft, fortune-telling, distribution of talismans and amulets, illegal religious instruction) are [to be] punished with forced labor for up to six months," the law enforcement agency stressed. Back in 2007, against a backdrop of rising energy prices, unemployment and discontent, the government introduced a bill banning witchcraft and fortune-tellers, the visiting of whom was a popular pastime in Tajikistan. Consequently, a law was passed which stated that "those indulging in sorcery and fortune-telling shall be fined between 30 and 40 times the minimum monthly wage." Despite this, however, research released in 2012 found 26% of Tajiks still wore talismans for protection. With the belief in jinns and the "evil eye" holding strong, the appeal of the occult has never gone away, and earlier this year it was reported that demand for exorcisms is on the rise. In March of this year, President Rahmon delivered a speech in which he stated: "People of Tajikistan! The Prophet of Islam strictly forbade going to fortune tellers and sorcerers and said: 'Whoever goes to a fortune teller, his prayers will not be accepted for 40 days, and if he believes what the fortune teller says, he will leave the faith.'" Despite Rahmon citing Islamic scripture, however, Tajikistan has always been a country where religion has been viewed as a challenge to the government's authority, and it pays not to be too devout. In September 2015, clashes over the death in police custody of a man detained for "wearing his beard long" led to seventeen fatalities. In that year alone, the police forcibly shaved 13,000 men's beards and shuttered over 160 shops selling Muslim clothing. Today, the authorities continue to surveil religious institutions.

Kyrgyz Climber in Nepal Sets Sights on Three of the World’s Highest Peaks

The head of Kyrgyzstan’s mountaineering federation is in Nepal, preparing to climb three of the world’s highest peaks in the next few months. First up for Eduard Kubatov is the Himalayan mountain of Lhotse. Next is Makalu. Both are more than 8,000 meters high. Three years ago, Kubatov unfurled the Kyrgyz flag on the summit of Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,849 meters above sea level. “If everything goes well, I will go to Pakistan in June in the Himalayas and try to climb the great K2 peak (8611 m.),” Kubatov wrote on Facebook. Last week, Kubatov got a send-off in Bishkek from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, who presented a national flag to the mountaineer and wished him success on his expedition. Kubatov aims to climb all 14 mountains in the world that are 8,000 meters above sea level. All are in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges. Kubatov´s other feats include climbing the Argentine peak Aconcagua, the highest in the Americas, as well as Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Kyrgyzstan has some formidable mountains, including Jengish Shokusu, Pik Lenin, and Khan Tengri. All are in the 7,000-meter range. Since 1972, 33 Kyrgyz mountaineers have been awarded the title "Snow Leopard" for climbing those peaks – eight of them did so after Kyrgyzstan´s independence in 1991, according to Kubatov. In February, Russian climber Evgeny Glazunov died while descending from another Kyrgyz peak, Aksu. Kubatov wrote that Glazunov was a great friend to Kyrgyzstan’s climbing community. “All the young athletes admired your example and looked up to you!” Kubatov wrote on Facebook. “So many plans and all of them remained at the foot of the cold and great rock! I will always remember you, my brother, and forgive us all for not saving you!” Kubatov is a business consultant and honorary consul for Indonesia in Kyrgyzstan. He has a prominent profile, giving talks to students and meeting with sponsors. He also loves to bury himself in a book. “Books are probably the strongest passion in my life after mountains,” he wrote. “Read and love books, and they will reciprocate like mountains!”