Rashid Nugmanov
Encyclopedia
Rashid Nugmanov is a Kazakh
film director
, dissident
, political activist and founder of the Kazakh New Wave cinema movement.
, Nugmanov enrolled at the prestigious Moscow State Film Institute (VGIK), the world's first institute of cinematography
in 1984. His debut film, "Igla" (English title: The Needle), premiered in September of 1998 at the "Golden Duke" Festival in Odessa (Certain Regard Prize) and starring Victor Tsoi was one of the first films to break the taboo
against talking about drug addiction in the former Soviet Union. The film was released in the USSR in February 1999 with 1,000 prints in circulation and became a box office
hit viewed by over 30 million cinemagoers. The film was also a critical success, winning First Prize at the Nuremberg Film Festival
and initiating the "Kazakh New Wave". He declared, in 1990, the motto of the New Wave of Kazakh cinema: "We demand no unified philosophy nor uniform artistic views on art. We are unified, instead, in our freedom and love of art". Nougmanov served as President of the Union of Kazakh Filmmakers from 1989 until 1992, when he wrote, directed and produced Diki Vostok (The Wild East
), a post-apocalyptic punk
samurai
Ostern
which attracted international acclaim at film festival
s from Venice
to Los Angeles
to Tokyo
, and was awarded the Prix Special du Jury in Valenciennes
, France. The film marked the end of both the Kazakh New Wave and Nugmanov's active directorial career, although he continued to write screenplays throughout the 1990s.
, France
in 1993 and currently serves as the General Director of the International Freedom Network, a London
-based think tank
created to foster democracy
in the former Soviet Union. A harsh critic of the political regime of Nursultan Nazarbaev, which he has decried as a mafia
, Nugmanov has been responsible for the international relations
of dissident organisations including the Forum for Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan
, and For a Just Kazakhstan
.
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, dissident
Dissent
Dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or an entity...
, political activist and founder of the Kazakh New Wave cinema movement.
Film career
After graduating in 1977 from the Architectural Institute in AlmatyAlmaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
, Nugmanov enrolled at the prestigious Moscow State Film Institute (VGIK), the world's first institute of cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
in 1984. His debut film, "Igla" (English title: The Needle), premiered in September of 1998 at the "Golden Duke" Festival in Odessa (Certain Regard Prize) and starring Victor Tsoi was one of the first films to break the taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
against talking about drug addiction in the former Soviet Union. The film was released in the USSR in February 1999 with 1,000 prints in circulation and became a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
hit viewed by over 30 million cinemagoers. The film was also a critical success, winning First Prize at the Nuremberg Film Festival
Perspektive - Filmfestival der Menschenrechte
Perspektive is an international film festival dedicated to human rights that takes place biannually in Nuremberg, Germany.-External links:...
and initiating the "Kazakh New Wave". He declared, in 1990, the motto of the New Wave of Kazakh cinema: "We demand no unified philosophy nor uniform artistic views on art. We are unified, instead, in our freedom and love of art". Nougmanov served as President of the Union of Kazakh Filmmakers from 1989 until 1992, when he wrote, directed and produced Diki Vostok (The Wild East
The Wild East
The Wild East is a Russian-language film created in Kazakhstan shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union released in 1993. It was written and directed by Rashid Nugmanov and was inspired by The Magnificent Seven, an American remake of Akira Kurosawa's film Seven Samurai.-Plot:In this...
), a post-apocalyptic punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
Ostern
Ostern
The Ostern or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries' take on the Western.It generally took two forms:...
which attracted international acclaim at film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and was awarded the Prix Special du Jury in Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, France. The film marked the end of both the Kazakh New Wave and Nugmanov's active directorial career, although he continued to write screenplays throughout the 1990s.
Activism
Nugmanov moved to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1993 and currently serves as the General Director of the International Freedom Network, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
created to foster democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the former Soviet Union. A harsh critic of the political regime of Nursultan Nazarbaev, which he has decried as a mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
, Nugmanov has been responsible for the international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
of dissident organisations including the Forum for Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan
Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan
Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan was a political party in Kazakhstan. It was disbanded in February 2005 before the presidential elections.-Origin:...
, and For a Just Kazakhstan
For a Just Kazakhstan
For a Just Kazakhstan is a political movement that was founded by the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, the Naghyz Ak Zhol Party and the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan Party as an opposition coalition to nominate a single candidate in the 2005 presidential elections.The movement is led by...
.
Filmography
- Igla Remix (2010)
- Dikiy Vostok (1993)
- Igla (1988)
- Iskusstvo byt smirnym (1987)
- Yahha (1986)
- Zgga (1977)
- The Snow Band (1971)
Further reading
- Plakhov, AndreiAndrei PlakhovAndrei Stepanovich Plakhov is a Russian film critic and historian of cinema, columnist for Kommersant newspaper. President of the International Federation of Film Critics....
, "Soviet Cinema into the 90's" in Sight and Sound (London), Spring 1989. - Ciesol, Forrest, "Kazakhstan Wave", in Sight and Sound (London), Fall 1989.
- Horton, Andrew, "Nomad from Kazakhstan: An Interview with Rashid Nugmanov", in Film Criticism , Summer 1990.
- Pruner, Ludmila Zebrina, "The New Wave in Kazakh Cinema" in Slavic Review, Vol. 51, No. 4. (Winter, 1992), pp. 791–801.
- Eisner, Ken, "Legit Review", VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, 1993-12-20.
External links
- Rashid Nugmanov at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...