AMDOCS / Atlanta Film Festival 2019 – My Dear Kyrgyzstan
A Kyrgyz man takes it upon himself to transform his abandoned Soviet mining village into an international tourism destination.
Interview with producer, co-director Noam Argov and co-director Alex Pritz
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I first learned about our character Emil when I was traveling in Kyrgyzstan in 2015. I heard stories of a mythical man who was trying to put a small mountain village in Kyrgyzstan on the map, bending over backwards to convince tourists to vacation in one of the most remote places on earth. Since I only saw a total of ten tourists across four countries in Central Asia when I was first there three years ago, I was fascinated by Emil’s mission to expose his small Kyrgyz mountain village to the massive world of tourism. In making this film I’ve since been back to Kyrgyzstan five times and have really seen it blow up in the skier/mountain biker/backpacker scene. If we travel, usually we only see places as the tourists we are. I wanted to provide a more nuanced look into how remote and unknown areas suddenly become the next Bali, Indonesia or Aspen, Colorado. I wanted to shine a spotlight on globalization in action.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Even though many audiences have never even heard of Kyrgyzstan and are fascinated just to see it, economic development in remote areas and small towns facing globalization are topics to which most audience members can respond. Emil has been called the Steve Jobs of Kyrgyzstan and I think a local audience will find him fascinating yet strangely relatable. In terms of topic, whether it’s a local housing crisis or a small Kyrgyz village rebuilding itself, there are many parallels for an audience to draw, as they see how impoverished communities adapt to a changing global economy.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Most western audiences watching our film are usually in the position of "tourist" when they find themselves in far off places around the world. In this way, the film is a self-reflexive exercise for us as filmmakers and for the audience as viewers. We wanted to flip the narrative a bit and show how places become global tourism destinations, and the lengths one man goes to in order to overcome all odds and make that happen. What are the benefits and drawbacks of tourism? How do we wrestle with the complexity of something that is economically beneficial but also may fundamentally change a place? As Westerners, is it even our place to be asking these questions? And so on.
But then we also wanted to contextualize these questions by exploring themes of abandonment, identity and rebuilding. Kyrgyzstan was part of the Mongolian Empire, Tsarist Russia and the USSR over the course of hundreds of years. When the USSR fell apart and pulled out of Kyrgyzstan, there was a tremendous sense of abandonment and "what's next" among the population. Massive towns fell into complete disrepair. People had to be paid in everything from coal to washing machines because there was no currency. In many ways, Kyrgyzstan went from being part of a legacy of global superpowers to an obscure and independent country almost overnight. Now Kyrgyzstan is rebuilding itself and Emil's desire to put his village and the country back on the map speaks volumes within this larger context. For us this really put into perspective personal themes of identity and loss - How do you define yourself and your role in the world? What legacy or mark do you want to leave? It allowed for a very complex examination of the burgeoning tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan, and a human character with complex motivations.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
One of the biggest challenges was trying to parse out the story people wanted us to find (Beautiful scenery! Pristine nature! Untouched culture!) as opposed to the story we found (Glory days behind it, former Soviet village attempts to reinvent as a tourism destination, wrestling with cultural commodification along the way).
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been incredibly positive. People seem to be drawn in by the beauty of the film which speaks volumes to our cinematographers, but then it's amazing to see how they stay with us on the journey because of Emil's character, the humor, and the questions we raise. Our favorite moments are definitely hearing the audience laugh, gasp, and breathe a sigh of contemplation during all of the right beats. It's also been interesting screening the film around the world, as the opinions of the subject and the situation shift from culture to culture. Some people respect Emil for his drive and vision, seeing themselves as similar entrepreneurs in spirit. Others are caught off guard by his unending optimism and confidence. After the film, we often hear much of the audience wrestling with their own desire to go to Kyrgyzstan because the scenery is so beautiful, but also recognizing the issues the film hints at with regard to globalization. For us as filmmakers, this questioning is why we do what we do. If we can get the audience to know about a place they've never heard of AND grapple with their own behaviors and identities, then we've done our jobs on this film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not really. It's exactly what we hoped for.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are excited for as many people as possible to watch the film. At the very least if we've made you think, "Huh...What is Kyrgyzstan?" then we are super pleased.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd love to keep showing the film at wonderful festivals all over the world. We are also looking at different digital distribution options so that even more people can see it. We're exploring lots of different platforms.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Aside from looking up Kyrgyzstan on Google Maps, hopefully, the film makes people more conscientious travelers and more aware of the bigger picture when they go to seemingly remote areas. Being aware of what it means for us to be in a country and culture outside of our own and how this affects individual lives and cultures around the world (for better and for worse) is a great first step to having a larger conversation about globalization.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How much is at stake when tourists descend on an area that hasn't yet entered the global economy?
Wow, this question even makes me uncomfortable right now! My grandparents AND parents were in the travel industry, I love traveling and exploring new places, I find myself drawn to remote places where not many tourists go, and as a doc filmmaker, I am definitely in different countries often, so it's uncomfortable for sure to look at this issue from all sides. Of course, it's also such a privilege to even get to think about economic development in this way in countries outside of our own. And who are we to judge how countries should or should not economically develop? Wow, right? Debate away! It's complicated.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are collaborating on another project together - a feature film about the land conflict surrounding uncontacted tribes in the Brazilian Amazon.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
My Dear Kyrgyzstan
A Kyrgyz man takes it upon himself to transform his abandoned Soviet mining village into an international tourism destination.
Length: 13:00
Director: Alex Pritz and Noam Argov
Producer: Noam Argov
About the writer, director and producer:
ALEX PRITZ is a documentary filmmaker based between New York and Nairobi. He is co-owner in the production company DOCUMIST and recently was a cinematographer and field producer on Jon Kasbe's feature doc, When Lambs Become Lions (Tribeca 2018). Trained in Wilderness First Aid and Hostile Environments / Kidnapping, Alex has filmed in Kenya, Somalia, Iraq, South Sudan, Liberia, Burundi, Haiti, and many often difficult to reach locations.
NOAM ARGOV is a National Geographic Explorer and independent filmmaker. She runs her own production company, and her academic background in international development and conflict tends to find a way into her work. Noam has produced content for National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel (Showtime), and The North Face. Her first documentary short Running Across California premiered with Outside Online and was featured in National Geographic’s Women of Impact Campaign.
Key cast: Emil Ibakov (main subject)
Looking for: distributors, journalists, buyers, film festival directors
Instagram: @noamargov12
Hashtags used: #mydearkyrgyzstan #mdk #documist
Website: www.mydearkyrgyzstan.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: A Noam Argov Media Production in Association with Documist
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Video Consortium (New York City) // March 28 @ 7pm; American Documentary Film Festival (Palm Springs, California) // Palm Springs Cultural Center, March 30 @ 1:30 pm; IndieGrits (Colombia, South Carolina) // Nickelodeon Theatre, March 30 @ 2pm; Atlanta Film Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) // Hilan Theater, April 11 @ 7:30pm; International Mountain and Adventure Film Festival (Bratislava, Slovakia) // CINEMAX Borry Mall, March 29 @ 2:30pm and March 30 @ 1pm; 5Point Film Festival (Carbondale, Colorado) // Carbondale Rec Center, April 29 @ 12pm; Vancouver International Mountain Film Tour (Various Locations, USA & Canada) // Ongoing