The first film about the Kyrgyz tradition of bride kidnapping takes viewers…
Jamilia
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- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
This mesmerizing film, shot in Kyrgyzstan on richly saturated Super-8 footage, is a search for Jamilia, the title character in that country's famous novel by Chinghiz Aitmatov, about a young woman who rebels against the strict rules of her society.
Over the course of its haunting narrative, director Aminatou Echard introduces contemporary Kyrgyz women who, in talking about this literary heroine, reveal their own private lives and desires, the social rules they chafe under and their ideas of freedom.
Jamilia portrays Kyrgyzstan through the prism of these women's stories. They describe what their lives are like in a country where the patriarchal system may see them kidnapped by would-be suitors, and curbs their freedom to work, desire, love, live and dream.
Jamilia lets the women speak for themselves—about resistance and the freedom they find in unexpected places, despite the restraints and limitations imposed upon them. With dreamy pacing and a shifting relationship to time, the film gives viewers access to its subjects' desire for adventure, rebellion, independence and sensuality.
"Echard's Super-8 film features long-lasting beautiful portraits of women of various ages whose voices tell us: Since Jamilia, Kyrgyz women no longer feel powerless." —Lara Ladik, Perlentaucher
"...an intimate yet ambitious documentary survey of Kyrgyz women about their opinions of a national literary heroine, the eponymous Jamilia." —Daniel Kasman, Mubi.com
Citation
Main credits
Echard, Aminatou (film director)
Echard, Aminatou (cinematographer)
Rebouillon, Laurence (film producer)
Other credits
Images et sons, Aminatou Echard.
Distributor subjects
Women's Studies; Women's History; Fiction; Literature; Kyrgyzstan; Human RightsKeywords
WEBVTT
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(distant rain pouring)
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Mm.
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(distant dogs barking)
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(distant popping)
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(thunder rumbling)
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Ah.
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(laughing)
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(birds chirping)
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(water rushing)
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♪
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♪
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(wind blowing)
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(humming)
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(whooshing)
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♪
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♪
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(singing in foreign language)
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♪
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(singing in foreign language)
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♪
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(singing in foreign language)
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(whispering in foreign language)
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(baby cooing)
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(whispering in foreign language)
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(insects buzzing)
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(birds chirping)
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(laughing)
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(swing squeaking)
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(laughing)
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(birds chirping)
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(distant singing)
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(footsteps)
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(baby crying)
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(mixed chatter)
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(singing in foreign language)
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(clapping)
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(whirring)
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(singing continues)
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(indistinct conversations)
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(speaking in foreign language)
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(indistinct conversations)
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(metal creaking)
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(speaking in foreign language)
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(indistinct remarks)
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(distant conversations)
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(footsteps pattering)
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(indistinct conversations)
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(indistinct whispering)
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(indistinct remarks)
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(no audible dialogue)
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I don\'\'t think that
it\'\'s only about Jamila.
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It\'\'s about all women I think,
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and I imagine Jamila like--
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how to say--myself, like myself.
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If I were her, yes,
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maybe I would do like this,
like this.
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We\'\'re also brave
like that girl, I think.
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Our traditions, my husband
doesn\'\'t want--
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even now, he doesn\'\'t want,
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but I am fighting with it.
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I have found the way,
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like Jamila.
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I have children already,
I have a husband,
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I have everything at home,
but I don\'\'t have myself.
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I want to have myself in
something in career here,
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at school, in society.
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So, I made a--how to say--
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ultimatum, like a bomb.
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I work or I will not
lay with you.
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If not husband, parents.
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If not parents,
uncles or grandfathers.
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(fire crackling)
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♪
01:03:03.033 --> 01:03:07.200
(distant singing)
01:04:19.467 --> 01:04:23.667
(indistinct remarks)
01:04:39.467 --> 01:04:42.400
(baby crying)
01:06:38.734 --> 01:06:41.767
(indistinct remarks)
01:06:47.667 --> 01:06:51.734
(cow mooing)
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(leaves rustling)
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(birds chirping)
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(birds chirping)
01:16:19.033 --> 01:16:23.100
(birds chirping)
01:16:45.700 --> 01:16:49.667
They say that men think the girl
01:16:49.667 --> 01:16:53.467
is to have husband and children.
01:16:53.467 --> 01:16:56.533
It\'\'s like your main goal.
01:16:56.533 --> 01:16:58.800
And what do you want?
01:16:58.800 --> 01:17:00.400
I don\'\'t want it.
01:17:00.400 --> 01:17:04.166
If I said that
I don\'\'t want it,
01:17:04.166 --> 01:17:06.333
I want to study,
01:17:06.333 --> 01:17:09.600
I want to get a good education,
01:17:09.600 --> 01:17:14.000
and travel and learn language,
01:17:14.000 --> 01:17:16.367
they say that you\'\'re small now.
01:17:16.367 --> 01:17:19.567
You don\'\'t understand the life.
01:17:19.567 --> 01:17:22.367
So, yeah, what else?
01:17:22.367 --> 01:17:26.433
(birds chirping)
01:17:27.133 --> 01:17:30.633
I went to camp,
01:17:30.633 --> 01:17:33.633
was only for girls.
01:17:33.633 --> 01:17:34.700
Girls camp.
01:17:34.700 --> 01:17:38.300
And we talked about
girls\'\' rights,
01:17:38.300 --> 01:17:43.433
gender equality,
about ourselves.
01:17:44.333 --> 01:17:46.400
The last camp
01:17:46.400 --> 01:17:49.400
I was with boys.
01:17:49.400 --> 01:17:53.266
They don\'\'t want
01:17:53.266 --> 01:17:54.600
gender equality.
01:17:54.600 --> 01:17:57.266
For them, this is okay,
01:17:57.266 --> 01:17:59.700
because they say that,
01:17:59.700 --> 01:18:03.166
\"Girls haven\'\'t problems.
01:18:03.166 --> 01:18:06.433
We respect them.\"
01:18:07.133 --> 01:18:11.333
I\'\'m such kind of person
no one can tell me what to do,
01:18:11.333 --> 01:18:14.700
even if it\'\'s parent or teacher
01:18:14.700 --> 01:18:15.734
or president, whatever.
01:18:15.734 --> 01:18:22.066
I will just do the way I need,
the way I feel is right.
01:18:23.166 --> 01:18:26.667
In my family,
I have big freedom.
01:18:26.667 --> 01:18:30.166
So, can do what I want.
01:18:30.166 --> 01:18:33.533
I can go where I want,
01:18:33.533 --> 01:18:37.700
but it\'\'s only our situation.
01:18:37.700 --> 01:18:41.033
Many girls, they can\'\'t do it,
01:18:41.033 --> 01:18:44.533
and they must
change their life
01:18:44.533 --> 01:18:48.000
or help them.
01:18:49.333 --> 01:18:53.233
I always say, \"I don\'\'t need
anyone in my life.\"
01:18:53.233 --> 01:18:54.166
Like anyone.
01:18:54.166 --> 01:18:57.467
Children, husband,
it\'\'s not mine.
01:18:57.467 --> 01:19:00.266
Just if he will be
01:19:00.266 --> 01:19:03.166
or someone will be in my life,
01:19:03.166 --> 01:19:04.533
that\'\'s okay.
01:19:04.533 --> 01:19:06.367
We will live, that\'\'s fine.
01:19:06.367 --> 01:19:10.600
If there will be no one,
that will be okay too.
01:19:10.600 --> 01:19:13.200
Of course I want women to get,
01:19:13.200 --> 01:19:16.166
um, equal rights,
01:19:16.166 --> 01:19:21.233
and it\'\'s a really important
goal for me
01:19:21.233 --> 01:19:23.433
in Kyrgyzstan especially.
01:19:23.433 --> 01:19:27.734
But I just want to
01:19:27.734 --> 01:19:30.166
live happy life.
01:19:30.166 --> 01:19:33.200
Yes, a life that--
01:19:33.200 --> 01:19:37.633
in which patriarchy
will not touch me.
01:19:37.633 --> 01:19:40.433
So, yeah.
01:20:04.533 --> 01:20:08.600
(vocalizing)
01:21:07.400 --> 01:21:10.400
It\'\'s like part,
01:21:10.400 --> 01:21:14.000
part of this.
01:21:18.233 --> 01:21:23.033
I can sing also
01:21:23.033 --> 01:21:25.233
about Manas.
01:21:25.233 --> 01:21:26.633
Manas.
01:21:26.633 --> 01:21:28.667
What do feel,
do you prefer singing
01:21:28.667 --> 01:21:31.633
about Manas or about women?
01:21:31.633 --> 01:21:33.367
About women.
01:21:33.367 --> 01:21:36.066
It\'\'s like my words.
01:21:36.066 --> 01:21:40.667
It\'\'s a little story.
01:21:40.667 --> 01:21:43.700
Uh, but about Manas
01:21:43.700 --> 01:21:47.133
takes courage.
01:21:47.133 --> 01:21:51.433
We have epics about women,
01:21:51.433 --> 01:21:55.266
but I prefer about girls.
01:21:55.266 --> 01:21:58.033
It\'\'s about girls.
01:21:58.033 --> 01:21:59.166
It\'\'s about our day,
01:21:59.166 --> 01:22:03.166
and I said that
they want equality,
01:22:03.166 --> 01:22:07.133
and we will (unintelligible)
for it.
01:22:08.767 --> 01:22:11.734
And that we are
01:22:11.734 --> 01:22:14.100
part of society,
01:22:14.100 --> 01:22:17.600
and we have, we have our voice,
01:22:17.600 --> 01:22:23.133
and we want freedom.
Distributor: Icarus Films
Length: 84 minutes
Date: 2018
Genre: Expository
Language: Kyrgistan; Russian; Uzbek; English / English subtitles
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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