Kyrgyz Film Opens Central Asian Cultural Series in Argentina

A screening of the Kyrgyz historical drama Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains in Buenos Aires on August 7 has opened a new series aimed at introducing Central Asian cinema and literature to audiences in Latin America. The event was organized by the Eurasian Creative Guild with support from the Yunus Emre Institute in Buenos Aires. The organizers told The Times of Central Asia that the screening was the first official presentation of a Kyrgyz feature film in Argentina. The event also launched an international series of Central Asian film screenings and book presentations in Argentina and elsewhere in Latin America. Directed by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains tells the story of the 19th-century Kyrgyz leader Kurmanjan Datka. The film was Kyrgyzstan’s submission for the Foreign Language Film category at the 87th Academy Awards. The Buenos Aires event also included a presentation of the English-language book Queen Kurmanjan of the Mountains by Kyrgyz author Bubaysha Arstanbekova, published by Hertfordshire Press. The series is being organized in the run-up to the 15th Open Eurasian Literary Festival & Book Forum, which is scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires in October 2027. Kazakhstan will be the focus of the next screening in September, with the historical drama The Crying Steppe, directed by Marina Kunarova. The film, set against the Soviet-era famine in Kazakhstan, was Kazakhstan’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. The organizers said further film screenings and literary presentations are planned as part of efforts to expand cultural links between Central Asia and Latin America.