The film “Dreamers”, about the history of Jadidism in the Turkestan region, produced by BWG Production, won in the category Best Educational Film at the World Film Festival in Cannes, as announced by the movie’s director Ruslan Saliev.
The World Film Festival is a celebration of independent world cinema, receiving hundreds of film submissions every month. A jury composed of professionals in the field of cinematography selects the best films of the month. Ultimately, the jury choses several films in each category, with only one winning in each.
Initially, “Dreamers” was nominated in the category Best Historical Film. Later, the jury moved it to the Best Educational Film category.
The director of the documentary Ruslan Saliev explained the jury’s decision on his Instagram:
“In introductory remarks, the organizers said something along these lines: ‘Initially, the film was considered in the Best Historical Film category, but the jury still concluded that for European viewers, who are unfortunately not very familiar with the history of Uzbekistan, it is, first of all, an educational film of high level. Thanks to „Dreamers“, European viewers learned about the outstanding individuals who lived and created on the other side of the Earth and felt the pain of their dramatic destinies with their hearts. And it’s a universal story that will resonate with viewers anywhere in the world.'”
BWG Productions was the only company from Central Asia to be represented at the festival. “Dreamers” competed against filmmakers from the US, Europe, and Africa.
Ruslan Saliev noted the significance of the film’s achievement for Uzbek cinematography in a comment to Gazeta.uz correspondent.
“I think this is an important victory for the entire independent cinematography of Uzbekistan, because it is a unique opportunity to present our history to the Western audience. The language of cinema is universal, and it is an incredible feeling when people from dozens of countries discover the history of our country, and you see how much interest it sparks in the audience across different continents,” the director emphasized.
The movie “Dreamers” tells the story of the creation of Jadidism, the fate of its participants, the impact of the political events of 1917 on the reform movement, and the lasting legacy of the Jadids in the history of Uzbekistan.
