10 Essential Films from Uzbekistan

10 Essential Films from Uzbekistan

Native cinema in Uzbekistan’s own creative voice — the passport route that earns visas and citizenship.

1. 

   1. White, White Storks

   Белые, белые аисты · 1967

   In a traditional Uzbek village, a strong-willed married but childless woman openly carries on an affair with another man, defying custom and courting scandal. A visually striking, quietly bold Soviet-Uzbek drama.

   Curator’s note: White, White Storks ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

2. 

   2. You Are Not an Orphan

   Sen Yetim Emassan · 1963

   During World War II, a warm-hearted Uzbek couple whose own son is away at the front open their home to fourteen orphaned children evacuated from across the Soviet Union, raising them as their own. A beloved, tender drama based on a true story.

   Curator’s note: You Are Not an Orphan ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

3. 

   3. The Seventh Bullet

   Седьмая пуля · 1973

   In the years after the Soviet takeover of Central Asia, a Red commander whose own men have been turned against him must confront a ruthless Basmachi rebel leader terrorizing the villages. A stylish Soviet-era action drama.

   Curator’s note: The Seventh Bullet ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

4. 

   4. The Mischievous Boy

   Shum bola · 1978

   Adapted from a beloved story, this comedy follows the escapades of a restless, quick-witted Uzbek boy whose mischief lands him in one colorful predicament after another. A charming period comedy.

   Curator’s note: The Mischievous Boy ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

5. 

   5. 2000 Songs of Farida

   Фариданинг икки минг қўшиғи · 2020

   In a remote Turkestan region on the eve of historical upheaval, a man's settled life with his three wives is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a fourth, as the world beyond the family begins to crumble. A lyrical Uzbek drama.

   Curator’s note: 2000 Songs of Farida ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

6. 

   6. Colorless dreams

   Rangsiz tushlar · 2020

   This drama explores the ways human nature is shaped and tested across three arenas — behind prison walls, within society, and inside the family. A contemplative Uzbek film.

   Curator’s note: Colorless dreams ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

7. 

   7. Osmondagi bolalar

   2002

   The intertwined lives of four privileged teenage boys in Tashkent — among them the shy son of a famous director and the son of a wealthy businessman — as they navigate friendship, family, and coming of age. A popular Uzbek drama.

   Curator’s note: Osmondagi bolalar ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

8. 

   8. Comrade Boykenjaev

   Oʻrtoq Boykenjayev · 2002

   In a small Uzbek town during the last winter of Communism, a devoted official is tasked with founding the world's first internationalist cemetery, where all faiths can rest together, and pursues the absurd project with earnest zeal. A wry, poignant satire.

   Curator’s note: Comrade Boykenjaev ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

9. 

   9. Hot Bread

   Issiq non · 2018

   A teenage girl living with her grandmother in a small Uzbek village while her mother works far away in the city yearns to leave and join her, in a delicate portrait of longing and rural life. A quietly lyrical drama.

   Curator’s note: Hot Bread ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.

10. 

    10. Sunday

    Yakshanba · 2025

    An elderly couple living peacefully in an Uzbek village navigate the widening gulf between generations, as their nearby eldest son and their son working abroad pull the family in different directions. A tender drama of tradition and change.

    Curator’s note: Sunday ranks among the strongest manually compared works of Uzbekistan cinema for craft, enduring reputation or cult standing, influence, and national-cinema importance.