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Turkmenistan / All works

Cinema

Taynyy posol

Khalmamed Kakabaev · 1986

Synopsis

Eighteenth-century Turkmenia: by the will of the masters of the Khanate of Khiva, a once flourishing land has become a desert. To gather the scattered nomadic tribes and make his people independent, Hojanepes, an elder of one of them, secretly makes his way to Saint Petersburg to ask Peter the Great for help. The tsar, anxious to strengthen his southern borders, sends the expedition of Prince Cherkassky.

Context

The film is based on a novel by Yuri Belov, Voda miortvaïa i jivaïa; the director co-wrote the screenplay with Yevgeny Mitko. It was produced by Türkmenfilm with Lenfilm. The cinematography is by Eduard Rejepow, who later moved into directing, and the music by Rejep Rejepow. The cast brings together Nurberdi Allaberdiýew, Vladimir Nekrasov, Çary Işankulyýew, Grigore Grigoriu and Igor Pushkarev; the film runs one hundred and thirty-seven minutes according to Kinomania.

Who it is for

A historical fresco of more than two hours, drawn from a Russian novel, about a Turkmen embassy to the tsar of Russia.

Prizes and reception

Released in Moscow in May 1987; a Turkmen-language copy is now circulating online.

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