Turkmenistan hosted National Cinema Week at the end of last winter in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence. This art initiative was timed to coincide with a historic milestone – the anniversary of the Turkmenfilm Association named after Oguzkhan, reflecting the key stages in the development of national cinematography. Screenings of documentary and feature films produced during the years of independence were held in Ashgabat and regional centers across the country. A number of commemorative events also took place at the capital’s cinema venues.
The centenary of Turkmenfilm was also celebrated at the headquarters of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) in Ankara, where a thematic event entitled “Turkmen Cinema: Historical Milestones and the Present Day” was held. Organized by TURKSOY with the support of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Turkiye, the event brought together filmmakers and scholars from the Turkic countries. A high-level Turkmen delegation travelled from Ashgabat to Ankara to participate in the event. The audience watched the short film “Galkynysh Horses” and the internationally acclaimed feature film “The Composer.”
Anniversary is a landmark occasion for taking stock and reflecting on how the national cinema art has shaped its traditions and humanistic depth – evolving alongside the times while remaining faithful to its cultural roots. This was the aim pursued by the documentary journalistic film “Destinies Living in Images” produced at Turkmenfilm by director Rahimberdy Annagulyev and screenwriter, film scholar and playwright Ore Dashgynov. In this film, archival footage has been painstakingly collected piece by piece, revealing how renowned motion pictures – now part of the country’s cultural golden fund – were created.
7 February 1926 is considered the birthday of Turkmen cinema. On that day, a film factory was established in Ashgabat to produce documentary films about the life of the country. The movie camera became an instrument for preserving national history, and the footage – an invaluable archive. True pioneers, many of whom came to or were invited to Ashgabat from Moscow, stood at the origins of the professional film industry. The technical base was modest, filmmakers learned directly on the shooting area, yet the lack of resources was compensated by creative enthusiasm.
Among these pioneers was Alexander Vladychuk – an encyclopaedically educated individual, talented artist, teacher, sculptor, athlete, inventor and film director. He was among the first to join Turkmen cinema together with cameraman and engineer Alexander Gelgar. Together they produced an animated film based on national folklore that was warmly received by audiences. Vladychuk later directed the documentary “Reutovka,” based on his own script, about the friendship between Moscow and Turkmen textile workers. This was followed by his first full length feature film “White Gold,” as well as the first popular science film “Water Resources of Turkmenistan.”
The early years of film production in Turkmenistan are inseparably linked with the name of director and screenwriter Alexander Ledashchev, who, in collaboration with screenwriter Yevgeny Shatunovsky, produced the first live-action film “I Will Return,” released in 1935. Originally a silent film with subtitles, it was based on the poem “Batrak” by Turkmen poet Oraz Tachnazarov. Sound was added only in 1936 with the support of sound recording equipment.
Yevgeny Ivanov Barkov, a well known Moscow director, made a significant contribution to the formation of Turkmen national cinematography. He produced the film “Dursun” (1940), which portrayed the labor achievements of Turkmen cotton growers and new family relations. He also played a key role in training the first generation of national professionals – actors, directors and cinematographers. The film “Dursun” became a major cultural event. Nina Alisova and Alty Karliev starred in the film and were honoured with the USSR State Prize for bringing these vivid characters to life. The film also marked the first screen appearances of many Turkmen actors who later became prominent figures in cinema.
In the postwar years, full scale film production was effectively suspended for nearly seven years after the 1948 earthquake destroyed the film studio. The Ashgabat Film Studio (renamed Turkmenfilm in 1958) resumed its activities in 1955. This period coincided with the rise of Alty Karliyev as the country’s leading film director, who produced several films and later became director of Turkmenfilm.
Throughout its history, national cinema has been closely associated with many outstanding figures of Turkmen culture – not only talented directors, actors, cameramen and screenwriters, but also theatre artists, painters, composers, sound engineers and editors. In the second half of the twentieth century, there emerged a generation of film directors whose names entered the history of world cinema. Filmmakers trained at VGIK arrived in Ashgabat. They included Bulat Mansurov, Khodzhakuli Narlyev, Mukhammed Soyunkhanov, Kakov Orazsahatov, Yazgeldy Seyidov, Usman Saparov and others. A local Union of Cinematographers was established, and film festivals began to be held.
International recognition of Turkmen cinema was largely promoted by the collaboration of young VGIK graduates – director Bulat Mansurov, cinematographer Khodzhakuli Narlyev and beginner composer Nury Khalmamedov. Their film “The Contest” (1963), based on the novella “Shukur Bakhshi” by Nurmurat Sarykhanov, has become a classic of world cinema.
This film revealed the philosophical depth of Turkmen traditions and the significance of music of dutar as an instrument of diplomacy capable of stopping war. The producers of “The Contest” became the laureates of the Magtymguly International Prize. The film received a Special Diploma at the Cannes Film Festival for best non competitive program film and marked the beginning of the cinematic music legacy of Nury Khalmamedov, whose compositions have touched the hearts of millions worldwide. To this day, the film continues to resonate through its philosophical depth and timeless themes.
Turkmenfilm’s art treasury includes a vast number of films that have become classics of Turkmen cinema and remain popular today. Among them are “There Is No Death, Guys!” by Bulat Mansurov; “Japbaky” and “The Legend of Kugitang” by Kakov Orazsahatov; the comedy “My Friend Melekush” by Mukhammed Soyunkhanov and Anatoly Karpukhin; “A Man’s Upbringing” by Usman Saparov and Yazgeldy Seyidov; the socio psychological drama “The Good for Nothing” by Eduard Redzhepov; and many other remarkable works.
The 1970s marked the flourishing of Turkmen animation, whose history at Turkmenfilm is associated with directors and artists Medzhek Charyev and Yevgeny Mikhelson. Their films created a bright world of friendship, diligence, hospitality, justice and the inevitable triumph of good over evil. Medzhek Charyev is rightly considered the father of Turkmen hand drawn animation. The first animated film at Turkmenfilm was “Bovendzhik” (1975), followed by “The Poor Man and the Greedy Bai,” “The Bear Cub,” “Mered and the Sun,” “The Beetle and the Ant,” “The Flying Carpet,” “Oasis,” and other animated fairy tales.
With Turkmenistan’s independence, there grew a new generation of filmmakers whose works gained international recognition. Having travelled a century long path, Turkmenfilm continues to develop in the current era of technological change, combining national traditions with modern global trends.
The pursuit of a new style and search for artistic and technical means of reflecting reality is a defining feature of contemporary Turkmen cinema. Documentary and popular science films are currently the most prominent in quantitative terms.
A strong emphasis in today’s film production is placed on historical memory. Contemporary filmmakers turn to the lives of great figures – military leaders, poets, philosophers – as well as ordinary people who lived with dignity through events that shaped the fate of the Turkmen people. Such films include “Isterin,” dedicated to the life of Magtymguly Fraghi, as well as “Kemala,” “Torebeg Khanum,” “Gyzyl Kurte” (Red Robe), “Darakht” (Tree) and “Gyzyl Alma” (Red Apple).
In recent years, the material and technical base of the Oguzkhan named Turkmenfilm Association has been significantly strengthened. Great attention is paid to training young professionals both domestically and abroad, while modern cultural centres with fully equipped cinemas are being built across the regions.
New horizons have opened for international cultural exchange and collaboration with colleagues from around the world. Turkmen filmmakers participate in prestigious festivals and competitions abroad.
The development of the national film industry is also supported by major film forums held in the country. In recent years alone, there have been held the “Dawn of Arkadag” International Film Festival (2023) and the 4th “Gorkut Ata” International Film Festival (2024), which brought together filmmakers from five TURKSOY member states. As part of this festival, the premiere of the joint Turkmen Uzbek production “Magtymguly Fraghi” took place, winning the title of Best Feature Film. The large scale project was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the great Eastern poet and thinker. The film was directed by Uzbek filmmaker Muzaffar Erkinov, with leading roles performed by masters of the Turkmen theatre. It received awards at festivals in Bulgaria, the United Kingdom (London), Russia (Kazan), and won the top prize at Uzbekistan’s national film award “Oltin Humo.”
Films produced by the Oguzkhan named Turkmenfilm Association regularly receive special awards, diplomas and prizes at international film festivals. In recent years alone, several films have received international recognition. Among them are “Gyzyl Kurte” (Red Robe) and “The Tree of Fate” by director Sakhysalykh Bayramov, as well as the documentaries “Ol Rumystany gorsem” (If I Could See That Rumystan) and “Kitap” (Book) by Hekim Alovov. Films by director Iskendermuhammed Annammuhammedov – “Umyt” (Hope) and “Dutaryn Owazy” (Melody of the Dutar) – have also become festival laureates.
The film “The Composer” (production designer Meylis Khudayberenov), produced with financial support from the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship is one of the most acclaimed contemporary films. In 2024, at the 4th Gorkut Ata International Film Festival, the film received a Special Jury Prize and an award for Best Actress. In 2025, in Moscow, “The Composer” was awarded the Open Eurasian Film Prize “Diamond Butterfly” for Best Production Design. During the Days of Turkmen Cinema in the Republic of Turkey, “The Composer” again received special awards, including two prestigious TURKSOY international awards. The Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation received the “Great Winged Falcon” special award for its contribution to the film, while composer Kerim Berdimuhamedov was awarded the “Winged Golden Steed” prize for the film’s musical score.
The film’s new awards – testimony to the achievements of contemporary Turkmen cinema – were presented in February at a ceremonial event held as part of National Cinema Week at the Ashgabat Cinema Centre. The occasion brought together members of the country’s government, leaders of the cultural sector, as well as actors, directors, cinematographers and screenwriters – those who shaped Turkmen cinema in different eras – alongside their younger colleagues, students at the Turkmen State Institute of Culture.
An exhibition was set up in the cinema centre’s foyer, offering visitors a journey through the history of Turkmen cinematography. On display were vintage cameras, lighting and other equipment that had faithfully served “Turkmenfilm” for many years, a collection of prizes and awards recognizing achievements in Turkmen film art, themed works of visual art and posters of contemporary films.
At the Turkmenfilm premises, veterans – the studio’s longest serving employees – were honoured on the occasion of the jubilee and the successful conclusion of National Cinema Week. They received certificates of honour and commemorative gifts. Participants were also shown video greetings from the heads of leading film studios of the CIS countries and the Republic of Turkiye, as well as from renowned Russian directors and actors.