What? JAÑA CEKARA Film Festival
Where? bULt art-space (Almaty, Kazakhstan)
When? October 24-28, 2022
JAÑA CEKARA, a film festival dedicated to Eastern Turkestan, opens on October 24 in Almaty. The festival will present films by Kazakhstani and international filmmakers. In their works, authors are raising the issues of connections and shared identity with Muslim ethnic minorities living in the Xinjiang Uyghur region of the People's Republic of China: Kazakhs, Uighurs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others.
Festival founders note that the name of the event, JAÑA CEKARA (“New frontier”), was not a random choice. It is a direct translation of the Chinese name of the region, Xinjiang. People who live in this region themselves call their land Eastern Turkestan, as the name Xinjiang is colonial in its meaning.
“The films not only show the unique perspective of the directors but also raise an important issue concerning the brutal violation of human rights and freedoms. They portray common people, their lives, and the tragedy of broken connections with their families.
Thanks to the digital revolution and the rapid spread of information, we are witnessing the humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes. Our festival aims to raise awareness about this issue and provide a ground to reflect on and analyze the documentary and visual research of contemporary Kazakh and Uyghur filmmakers”, the organizers of the festival say.
On the opening day of the festival, on October 24th, the guests will be greeted with a brief lecture on the shared identity and history of Turkic peoples living on different sides of the border: in China and Kazakhstan.
Participation is free, places are limited. Please fill the form to register.
Address:
bULt art-space
83 Gagarin Street
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Proceed to the festival’s Instagram page for updates.
