May-Gozel Aimedova: Thank you for Surrounding us with Warmth and Light

The meeting with the Chair of the Jury of the festival, a Soviet and Turkmen actress, Maya-Gozel Aimedova and her husband, a Soviet and Turkmen director, screenwriter and cameraman Khojakuli Narliev was held recently within the framework of the 14^th Kazan International Festival of Muslim Film. Two films shot by the guests from Turkmenistan, Jamal Tree and Mankurt, were screened as a part of the parallel programme devoted to the film adaptations of works by Chingiz Aitmatov.

`I personally asked Chingiz Torekulovich where he heard the legend about mankurts (mankurt is a captured man turned into a soulless slave creature, who does not remember anything from his previous life). He answered me that there was an ethnic minority group named Juan-Juan in the north of China. This group used the method of mankurtism. Aitmatov made a generalization of this legend. It is usually believed that the death penalty is the worst punishment. However, after watching this film, it becomes clear that to make person a mancourt is even worse`, told Narliev. 

`The notion of high quality film is a bit lost nowadays. Although, films are released faster, only 10% of them has a content`, said the director about present day film industry.

`Thank you for surrounding us with light and warmth. We feel that you live in a sunny, kind, beautiful and hospitable place`, said the couple, expressing their gratitude to the organising committee of the festival, the inhabitants and guests of Tatarstan in the end of the meeting.

The photo report of the event is available here