Movies & TV Shows from Turkmenistan

Recording a 24-hour period throughout every country in the world, we explore a greater diversity of perspectives than ever seen before on screen. We follow characters and events that evolve throughout the day, interspersed with expansive global montages that explore the progression of life from birth, to death, to birth again. In the end, despite unprecedented challenges and tragedies throughout the world, we are reminded that every day we are alive there is hope and a choice to see a better future together. Founded in 2008, it set out to explore our planet's identity and challenges in an attempt to answer the question: Who are we?

1948 year. The hero of the film Serdar recalls his childhood, which he spent in post-war Ashgabat. At that time it was truly an international city, united by the bitterness of military losses and the happiness of the Victory that had happened. However, the subject of memories, alas, is far from nostalgic feelings. Indeed, on that day, the Ashgabat earthquake, tragic in its consequences, took place, which claimed the lives of two-thirds of the city's residents.

A social drama. The period of the Second World War in Turkmenia. In Central Asia the deportation program of the Soviet citizens of German origin begins. All adults are taken to camps in Siberia and children are put in orphanages. The six-year old Georg hides from the Red soldiers and finds himself left almost alone in his, now abandoned, German village. The horrifying reality sets in. The daily routine of his life is shocking: What to eat? How to take care of his sick friend Yashka? How to bury Aunt Lisa? Under these inhuman circumstances, the soul of Georg remains miraculously uncorrupt – he still believes in Little Angel from a children’s song, and he makes a nest for it in a tree. A miracle takes place: sometimes a glass of milk is left for Georg in the nest; sometimes an ear of corn...

The poor peasant Artyk cannot achieve his goal: to marry his beloved, the beautiful Aina. Rich Bally has wanted her for a long time. And although Aina likes Artyk, Bally calmly waits for his hour, he knows that his opponent has nothing to pay for. But the lovers decide to escape. Bally rushes after them and drives Aina home. In order to free the girl and take revenge on Bally, Artyk and a friend join Eziz Khan, who opposes the white king. Thus begins the combat path of the poor, not yet knowing their real enemies.

A village man living in the Turkmen Sahra of Iran makes the periodic trip to his aging parent's house, bringing them food and checking on them. They reside alone in the region's barren hinterland, where they have refused to move into town with him. From there, one witnesses a day in their daily life together. English subtitles are included.

When friends Atajan and Artyk were at a wedding, they jokingly advised Vepa to get married. Vepa followed this advice and sent her mother to her beloved's house for a funeral. However, the girl's father wanted Vepa to prove that she was worthy of his daughter and ordered her to pass several tests. Did Vepa pass these tests?!

The plot of the philosophical parable, the meaning of which boils down to the simple idea that "people are animals", develops in three instructive directions: the story of the shepherd waiting for death, who once did not meet his mother, who came to him from a distant village; the second story is about a young man who went to the mountains away from the worldly world, and finally, the third story is about a sheep trying to save its child from the fate that was destined for it.

An escaped prisoner, breaking the laws of hospitality, kills the dog of a boy whose grandfather gave him shelter. He placed a sharp piece of metal in a piece of meat. The police arrived and shot the dog. The boy grew into a small, pitiful, absurd, side-eyed man, who froze his genital organs while rescuing a dog, unable to have children, which his wife complains about very much. He works as a driver. While transporting a white piano from the collective farm to the club, he turns off the road so as not to run over the sheep, and the car falls into the river. A white puppy follows him everywhere and creepy and funny stories constantly happen. But he lives his dreams, writes poetry, his only friends are dogs - he gets kicked out of work, his wife leaves him. The real trouble comes - war.

After many years in a Soviet punishment camp Sadik returns home to his village. There he must learn that his brother, who has always been a conformist follower of the Soviet system, lives with the same conformism in post-communist Turkmenistan.

A parable about a man with a tree growing out of his shoulder. Film in the Parajanov-Tarkovsky tradition.

About the favorite hero of Turkmen fairy tales, Hudaiberdi the lazy, and his adventures.

The film depicts a group of young people from the LGBT club at Bogazici University in Istanbul, who live under the repressive norms of the Erdogan regime. The youth speak intimately about how the conservative policies have affected their lives and show that despite the difficulties in openly expressing their gender and sexual identities, they still fight to live true to themselves, as shown in a spectacular drag show two of the students put on for the film.

A Turkmen film about finding love during the New Year's holiday.

Nabat is a victim of feudal relations in the circle of the modern Asian elite. Having found a young wife, a rich and high-ranking boss drives out his ex-wife and daughter Nabat from the house. The mother dies in a car accident, after which the girl is forced to make a living dancing for rich guests at house parties. A bloody drama is played out, the consequences of which are being investigated by two investigators.

A Turkmen family, in which the main character, Nazik, sees her husband off to the front and awaits his return. An apricot tree, once planted by the newlyweds, becomes a symbol of hope for her.

Even if you can keep a promise, never promise. Who knows what is going to happen in another minute.

The hero of the film Purli (which means coniferous) has a spruce growing on his shoulder. His life is dedicated to ensuring that the tree does not wither.