Uzbek artist and filmmaker Saodat Ismailova joins us to present a pair of films that consider the cultural complexities of post-Soviet Central Asia. Ismailova’s practice draws on personal memory, archival footage, and historical events to uncover diminishing systems of ritual and knowledge in the region. Often relying on oral histories, her films center matrilineal practices and the everyday experiences of women as keepers of this knowledge.
In 18000 Worlds (2023), Ismailova brings together unused footage from the Uzbek state archive and her personal archive, creating a layered reflection on her filmmaking practice. Invoking the Uzbek belief that we live in only one of thousands of possible worlds, the film challenges the authority of state archives and official historical narratives. Melted into the Sun (2024) is inspired by the legacy of the eighth-century figure Al-Muqanna, who preached spiritual awakening and political revolution against authoritarian power, and whose ideas were later co-opted as part of Soviet ideology. The film reimagines these teachings, tracing the veiled figure’s path across key historic and religious sites in Central Asia and modern Soviet infrastructure projects, such as the solar furnace of Uzbekistan. Featuring the local landscapes and sites that bore witness to the figure’s journey and ultimate demise, Ismailova implicates technology and our environment in the creation and perpetuation of narratives of power.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Ismailova moderated by Ana Janevski, curator in the Department of Media and Performance.
This event is presented in conjunction with Ismailova’s solo exhibition at Swiss Institute, Amanat, on view through April 12, 2026.
18000 Worlds. 2023. Directed by Saodat Ismailova. Uzbekistan/Netherlands. 31min. DCP. US premiere
Melted Into the Sun. 2024. Directed by Saodat Ismailova. Uzbekistan/Italy/Portugal. 36min. DCP. US premiere