Category: People
Central Asia: At The Crossroads – highlights from Berlin’s new regional film festival
Berlin’s Sinema Transtopia hosted the first edition of Central Asia: At The Crossroads on September 27–28, 2025, a new short film festival spotlighting bold and diverse voices from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,… [...]
Central Asia through the lens of… Kamila Rustambekova
With “Central Asia through the lens of…” Novastan presents Central Asian photographers and their work. Kamila Rustambekova is a photographer and filmmaker based in Tashkent and Amsterdam. In her work,… [...]
Hitting the road: the first female bus drivers in Uzbekistan
A recent change in the law allows women to drive buses and heavy vehicles in Uzbekistan. This is a significant step forward for Uzbekistan’s transportation industry, a demonstration of active dedication… [...]
“Alaqan”: Aida Adilbek’s decolonial documentary cinema
We are continuing our series of articles on Kazakhstani documentaries revolutionizing everyday life. Documentary film directors and producers Kristina Mikhailova, Dana Sabitova and Almira Ismailova analyze Kazakhstani documentaries in cultural,… [...]
Sweet Milky Corn: the film, in which everyone recognizes themselves
A heated debate continues in Kazakhstan’s film industry around redistribution of the resources among the titular creative elite, privileged officials, and monopolists of the field. The industry, which depends entirely… [...]
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The Philippe brothers: a journey from France to Korea via Central Asia
Three French-Korean brothers have set themselves the challenge of driving from their native Alsace in France to South Korea − a family adventure they share on their Youtube channel. Novastan… [...]