The JAÑA CEKARA Film Festival (24−28.10) is dedicated to presenting films made by Kazakhstani and international filmmakers. Authors are raising issues of our connection to and shared identity with Muslim ethnic minorities living in the Xinjiang Uyghur region of the People’s Republic of China - Kazakhs, Uighurs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others.
The name JAÑA CEKARA was not selected randomly. The phrase JAÑA CEKARA is a direct translation from the Chinese name “Xinjiang’', meaning “new frontier”. People who live in this region themselves call their land East Turkestan, as the name “Xinjiang” is colonial in its meaning. The films not only show the unique perspective of the directors but also raise an important issue concerning the brutal violation of human rights and freedoms. They portray common people, their lives, and the tragedy of broken connections with their families.
Thanks to the digital revolution and the rapid spread of information, we are witnessing the humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes. Our festival aims to raise awareness about this issue and provide a ground to reflect on and analyze the documentary and visual research of contemporary Kazakh and Uyghur filmmakers.
On the opening day of the festival, on October 24th, the guests will be greeted with a brief lecture on the shared identity and history of Turkic peoples living on different sides of the border - in China and Kazakhstan.
Find more info and apply: https://taplink.cc/jana.cekara