The 28th December is the International day of cinema. Today we can say that the Circassian cinema is inscribed in the history of the international cinema. And this is thanks to the young filmmakers from Kabardino-Balkaria who released their films in 2018 and presented them at Russian and international film festivals and on display to the mass audience.
In this year, the most striking work was the film "Deep rivers" of Director Vladimir Bitokov, follower of Alexander Sokurov. The social drama in Kabardian language talks about woodcutters and tells how "the younger son returns home to help his father and brothers to fulfill a profitable work for logging, but at the same time he faces constant circumstances of life: hard work for a piece of bread, confrontation with the inhabitants of the neighboring village, inability of family members to express their love and understanding", It became an event in the history of the Russian cinema. Awarded with the prize of the Russian film festival "Kinotavr "for the best debut, the film took part at the 53-rd international festival in Karlovy Vary in the program " To East from West", at the festivals "The Baltic debuts" where he received the prize for the best work of the director, "Meridians of the Pacific" in Vladivostok, "Sputnik over Poland" in Warsaw where the director was awarded with the prize for the best director, "Dark nights " in Tallinn (1).
The film of Vladimir Bitokov was shown in the program of Russian cinema in Honfleur in France and was awarded with the prize of the district of Normandy for the best debut. Then the film participated at the film festival “the Golden unicorn” in London, “the Arctic Open” in Arkhangelsk and the international film festival "Irida" in Sochi where it was awarded with the prize for the best debut and the prize named with Vera Glagoleva. In addition, the film "Deep rivers" was presented at the Russian film week in Mongolia and in Rio de Janeiro. The film was included in the list of nominees for the national award of film critics and film press "The White elephant" as a best debut and was included in the list of 20 main Russian films in 2018, according to the magazine "Esquire" (1).
It is noteworthy that everywhere the film was shown in Kabardian language which, in the opinion of the director known to all as actor in the film "The land of the Adyghes" (Dir.: Oleg Hamokov), was necessary "for the organic of heroes and dictates some understanding of the place where this might happen, but nevertheless the film is not ethnographic and does not based on real events" (2). Of course, the success of the film was added by a great game of Adyghe actors Oleg Huseynov, Rustam Muratov Muhammed Sabiev and Oleg Hamokov, the soundtrack of Murat Kabardokov and the fine pictorial solution of the Director.
The another film that participated at the international film festival, was the feature film "The Innocent" of the Director Andzor Emkuzh, famous theatre and film director, who had presented several pieces on the stages of Adyghea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachaevo-Cherkessia. His first feature film which raises one of the main themes of equality of peoples and interethnic relations, took part at the 42nd Montreal film festival, which was held from the 23rd August to the 3 September 2018 in Canada, in the nomination "the Debut film". It is noteworthy, as the Director notes, "several Russian regions took part in the creation of the film: there were all the republics of the North Caucasus, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov, Krasnodar, as well as Armenia, Ukraine, Donetsk region" (3). The cast of the film includes Adyghe actors from Adyghea and Kabardino-Balkaria. In Russia, the film is scheduled to premiere in March of 2019.
According to the authors of the films, their works are not ethnographic and do not focus on history and culture of the Adyghe (Circassian) people. Nevertheless, thanks to these films, the world public begins to recognize the Circassian cinema in action. Meanwhile, the ethnographic Circassian films were in ptoduction, although not so rapidly and not so qualitatively. So, in November of 2017 in Kabardino-Balkaria held a private presentation of the film "Kazbech" (Dir.: Edward Hatuhov), filmed in the Kabardian language. Eduard Hatuhov, known as a musician, author and performer of songs, has proved himself as a scriptwriter and director. The film was shot in the Tersky region of Kabardino-Balkaria, and the cast is represented mainly by employees of local cultural institutions (4).
The production of the ethnographic film took 1 year and 4 months for its creators. The filming was organized at Chegem waterfalls, in the villages of Kashkhatau, Planovskoye and other places of Kabardino-Balkaria. The site of action was a preserved ancient manor in the village Planovskoye, and the events in the film can be chronologically attributed to the end of the XIX-th century. The main role of Kazbich was played by the lead singer of the folk ensemble "Terchanka" Kazbek Bekishev. The cast was presented by artists from the neighboring Kirovvsky region of Ossetia-Alania, and the mass scenes were performed by villagers (5).
Another ethnographic project can be considered a feature film "The Prince Marukh" of Huseyn Daurov. Its production process is continuing. The first feature film of the documentary director from Adyghea in Adyghe language recreates the traditional color of the existence of the Adyghes. In the filming which took place in Adyghea, Shapsugia and Karachayevo-Cherkessia, there are playing the Circassian well-known actors, such as Anzor Kabekhov and well-known Circassian masters of folk arts and crafts Aydamir Patokov and Arsen Khashkhozhev. The starring role is performed by Ruslan Teshev.
The new documentary of the Circassian cinema 2018 was the film "Shagdi, anticipating the flight of the arrows" from the producer Askarby Nagaplev, author of documentaries "Circassia", "Adyghe Khabze", "Foreign Land", "Return", "Circassian woman". The film is devoted to "Kabardian horses, one of the oldest known breeds in the world, that is an incarnation of the centuries-old experience of the Circassian horse breeders, a common heritage and a pride of the whole Circassian world" (6). The filming took place in Germany, Jordan, Turkey, France, Kabarda, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Adyghea, Ryazan and Moscow. The consultants in the film production were candidate of historical sciences Aslanbek Mirzoev from Kabardino-Balkaria and Honored artist of the Republic of Adyghea Aslan Khakuy. The presentation of the documentary has taken place during the year in Nalchik, Cherkessk, Maykop, Krasnodar, Moscow, Sukhum (6). Historically, documentaries called “Shagdi”, dedicated to Kabardian breed of horses, already were filmed by film director Vladimir Vorokov in 1963 and filmmaker Sultan Tsoriev in 2005.
The list of other documentaries produced by Circassian filmmakers in 2017-2018 isn’t numerous, that may be because of a decrease in funding of the production of national documentary films in the republics or of its complete absence.
The development of the Circassian animation cinema is founded on the enthusiasm of the participants of social and educational project "Si Bza" (www.sibza.org). During past two years, the Director Anzor Hamdohov has produced several cartoons in the Kabardian and Adyghe languages: "Atakemre Chetkurtemre" (The coq and hen) (2017), "Nit’e” (2017), "Chengesh" (2018), two series of "Kazanoko Zhabago’s stories" (2018), "Man and Ant" (2018), and others. The animation projects of the Circassian Director-animator become popular among the Circassian Diaspora. The implementation of these projects is aimed to support and promote the Circassian languages and culture. In addition, it began to appear animated projects, for learning of Circassian languages, such as "Learn Circassian| Study the Circassian language" - Little Aslan.
The monitoring shows that with a bright breakthrough of Circassian film directors from Kabardino-Balkaria at international film festivals, the film production of Adyghe tales in Kabardian and Adyghean languages for Circassian children is not financed at all. Film projects based on the works of Adyghe writers whose heritage is original and multifaceted, are not produced. The authorities don’t pay attention to the development of the Circassian cinema at the regional level, although an opinion about cinema exists for a century. Why did Vladimir Lenin consider the cinema as “the most important of arts"? "You have to remember firmly that of all the arts for us the cinema is the most important" (Lenin). First of all, because the cinema has an educational value and mass level and is accessible to everyone.
To talk about preservation of language, cultural values and folk heritage, but not to use all of the most important ways of achieving of this goal – it means to talk uselessly or intentionally for populism. Today we cannot complain about the lack of professional staff in the cinema. Because of the lack of full financing, such skillful filmmakers as Oleg Hamokov, known for his short films "Antigona", "the Land of the Adyghes", "Alive", is delaying the production of his feature films. We can say that the production of documentary films about history and culture of the Circassian people has stopped. And such Circassian documentarians as Svetlana Kushu, Zamira Tov, Huseyn Daurov don’t create their new projects, such the documentaries "My Adyghea", "Fireplace", etc. And the program of the VIII-th International festival of the Adyghe (Circassian) culture in Maykop didn’t include the presentation of new film projects of Adyghe filmmakers as it was made at the VII-th International festival of the Adyghe (Circassian) culture in 2016.
Meanwhile, the translation of Russian animation projects into the Adyghe language is financed. "Winnie Pooh", "Smeshariki" and other animated series will help Circassian children not to forget their native language. Maybe so! But it would be better to provide the financial support for the production of Circassian cartoons and fairy tales, which would not only promote language learning, develop the Circassian cinema, but also help to promote Adyghe culture around the world. And a real success of our cinema would be if our cartoons were translated in Russian, English, Chinese, Arabic and other languages of the world.
We have not to forget that the films shot in the republics where the Adyghes historically live would contribute to the development of the tourist potential of the regions and their promotion in general. Not only the pristine beauty of the Caucasus nature, a variety of activities and leisure, comfortable conditions and curiosity of tourists can attract attention to the region, but also the original culture reflected in animation projects, documentaries and feature films can promote the region, become the "soft power" that will also strengthen interethnic relations both in Russia and abroad.
Action is better than inaction!
Bibliography:
1.Tom Tekhazheva. "Deep rivers" and their march through the world. Daily newspaper "Goryanka" from December 25, 2018/ http://www.goryankakbr.ru/node/3391
2. Daria Shomakhova. A fictional story about fictional mountains "This is the Caucasus" dated June 28, 2018/
3. The film "The Innocent" of Director from Kabardino-Balkaria Andzor Emkuzh is presented at the 42nd Montreal film festival/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X52qiP48mvw
4. Information on social networks /https://www.instagram.com/p/BVI8uXJhY43
5. The premiere screening of the film of Edward Hatuhov/ 08 Jun 2017/
6. The work on the film "Shagdi anticipating the flight of the arrows" is finished/ March 01, 2018/
7. Filmography of the project "Si Bza"/
Written by Fatima Teuchezh