180608_safarbek

Film-Cen-Asia

The participants of a 3-day conference titled: Communicating with the Persian Speaking World in London’s SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) were treated with a few good films. These included screening of a film from Tajikistan: "Calendar of Expectations" (2005) and a Q&A session with the Director: Safarbek Soliev

"The Calendar of Longing" provides several illustrations of how people pass on their present in the hope and anticipation of what the future would bring for them. The film is set in Tajikistan's high mountain district of Nurabad and is a realistic reflection of how people go about their lives amidst tough terrain, harsh climate and severe shortages. The film provides a snapshot of the melting pot nature of the Tajik society its roots in the past and the changes being experienced in the present times.

The film's central character, Samad, a elderly villager is collecting wood for a coffin so that his soul could rest close to his roots. This matters vital for him as his grand father died on the front in WW2 while his father perished in Siberia-the duress of living in the Soviet era that also affected people from Tajikistan.

Samad’s son is one of the many thousands who has to away for long months working in Russia. His wife Ira and her daughter Mavluda are with their in-laws waiting when the split family could rejoin.

Upon noticing how her mother crosses the date on the calendar marking each day spent waiting for her father’s return, the little girl impatiently strikes off several days at once so that time passed quickly and she could see her father. This is what denotes their calendar of longing.

Their longing reminds the viewers of the fact that as 93% of Tajikistan’s territory consist rugged mountains and sites on high altitude offer little farming opportunities compelling a large number of rural youth go to Russia to earn a livelihood.

The viewers are introduced to a Russian visitor Victor who was born and brought up in a Nurabad district village but left for Russia when security deteriorated during the civil war years 1992-97. He comes to pay respect to his father's grave who lived and helped constructing a bridge in the area. This is a reminder of the past where people from diverse ethnicity and believes lived together and contributed to their common abode. These characters show that Tajikistan not only comes with a multi-faith and multi-ethnic past but diversity has taken some new forms with the change in circumstances.

While many young men return with wealth some come back with poor health as reminded by a character who suffers from with HIV having got infected by a used syringe while donating blood for a fellow labourer.

Conversations between the characters are used to inform the viewers of the challenges faced by the inhabitants in the mountain areas. As Samad and Victor walk by an under construction tunnel, we are reminded that under snow conditions road links between different parts of the country get severed for several weeks at stretch.

The selection of rich musical scores composed by Daler Nazarov is impressive as it is diverse and suits the changing settings and scenarios of the film.

The film also reflects how a non-local politician is trying to curry favours with the village elders to get their support in his bid to get elected as the district chairman. This is a suggestion about the society where loyalties and favours matter more than ideology or political positions. The situation is contrasted by showing how the fortunes have changed since the dissolution as the past Chairman of the district surrounded with portraits of Lenin and Stalin is shown operating a grain mill powered by a water spring in the absence of regular electric supply saying that once wheat was supplied by trainloads and now it has come to improvise for survival.

The film is not a casual reflection of life in a typical mountain village in Tajikistan. Rather, it offers insightful illustration about life in the contemporary Tajik society with its many complications and contradictions which are hinted at in very poignant manner. The jeep of a travelling film unit getting stuck in the mud and people pulling it together is one among the film’s several scenes that speak of the subtleties of the society noticed by a keen eye and the sensibilities exercised in conveying them.

The hard work of director, producer and writer Safarbek Soliev (right) has been recognized for its contribution far and wide. It was lauded with the New Perspective award at the 27th Three Continents Film Festival Nantes, a special prize at the 8th East & West Film Festival in Baku and at the 10th National Film Producers’ Forum of CIS and Baltic States Moscow, besides laurels won in Paris, Rome, Teheran, The International Film Festival Eurasia III in Kazakhstan, Osian Cinefan festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, India.