Central Asia Premiere - Dushanbe, Tajikistan - Pictures

We did it, we did it, we did it.

When I wanted to screen the Aga Khan Film in Tajikistan, I did not know how difficult it would be. Thank you to the certain key people, you know who you are, who made it happen and would not take no for an answer.

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These pictures are in reverse order but nevertheless, the celebration pictures are the most important so here they are first:

Musicians and music from the region.

Dancing, Tajik style.


A full-house: standing-room only please.


This gentleman on the left complimented the film during the Q+A session, saying how for him, as a non-Ismaili, this was very useful and he thinks this is an excellent piece to show to many others.


A small world: The lady in the middle I had actually met just over a year ago in Kenya when I was trying to capture the essense of the East African Ismailis' stories. She had just arrived from Afghanistan, heard the film was playing and showed up. It was nice to see her. She recalled the struggle we had a year ago in the context of how it all worked out in the end.

My translator and a new friend, Shodi, trying to remember everything I am saying so he can translate accurately.

Q+A with the audience.




The audience waiting for the screening to start. This venue, an open-air museum, was probably one of the coolest we have ever screened in.

Here I am sooooooo happy that we figured out a solution to the challenges of screening in Dushanbe!

_oOo_

So this weekend we celebrate, tomorrow we can rant about the unjustifiably MASSIVE challenges, created by various organizations, of screening a film here in Tajikistan . To be continued on Monday...