Day Two -- Friday -- 19 September 2025

Depature Location: Khan Tengri Hotel

Location: UCA Campus; Zoom

This seminar, led by acclaimed filmmaker Aktan Arym Kubat, offers an in-depth exploration of Kyrgyz cinema, its artistic traditions, and its role in shaping cultural identity. Drawing on his internationally celebrated films and creative journey, Arym Kubat reflects on the visual language of Kyrgyz storytelling, the challenges of filmmaking in Central Asia, and the importance of cinema as both a mirror of society and a bridge to the world. The session provides a rare opportunity to engage with one of Kyrgyzstan’s most influential directors and gain a deeper understanding of the evolution and future of national cinema.

Aktan Arym Kubat (born March 26, 1957), also known as Aktan Abdykalykov, is a celebrated Kyrgyzstani director, screenwriter, and actor. A member of the National Film Academy of Kyrgyzstan, the European Film Academy, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, he has received international recognition with numerous awards, including the Silver Leopard at Locarno, the Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions, and multiple FIPRESCI Prizes. His films — Beshkempir/The Adopted Son (1998), Maimyl/The Chimp (2001), The Light Thief (2010), and Centaur (2017) — have been screened at major festivals including Cannes and Berlin. In 2016, he was named among Asia’s best directors, with Beshkempir ranked among the top 100 Asian films of all time by the Busan International Film Festival. Kubat’s work is celebrated for its poetic storytelling and profound cultural resonance.

Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall

Departure Location: UCA Campus Parking

Location: Naryn Regional Academic Musical Drama Theatre named after Muratbek Ryskulov

Opening Film Screening: Black Red Yellow by Aktan Arym Kubat, followed by a Q&A session with the director.

Black Red Yellow is a feature film about three intertwined destinies, centered on a love between two ordinary villagers - a love that endures and uplifts. The film explores moral responsibility within the family and the need to cherish and respect one another. At its heart is Turdugul, a weaver whose carpets reflect the lives of those they are made for. In her hands, carpets become mirrors of their owners' fates: one black, one red, one yellow. These colors symbolize human nature - black as calm and grounded, red as fiery and intense, yellow as nostalgic and melancholic. Though Turdugul is the village's only weaver, each carpet is unique, shaped by the soul it represents. Through her craft, the film reveals the depth of everyday life, the emotional power of tradition, and how personality and destiny are woven into every thread.

Aktan Arym Kubat (born March 26, 1957) is a celebrated Kyrgyzstani director, screenwriter, and actor, also known as Aktan Abdykalykov. A member of the National Film Academy of Kyrgyzstan, the European Film Academy, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, he has garnered international acclaim with numerous awards, including the Silver Leopard at Locarno, Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions, and FIPRESCI Prizes. His films, such as Beshkempir/The Adopted Son (1998), Maimyl/The Chimp (2001), The Light Thief (2010), and Centaur (2017), have been showcased at major festivals including Cannes and Berlin. In 2016, he was named among the best directors in Asia, with Beshkempir ranked among the top 100 Asian films of all time by the Busan International Film Festival. Kubat’s work is known for its poetic storytelling and deep cultural resonance.

Opening Performance: Tamyr (The Root) is a performance about a woman as the embodiment of Nature — her memory and her future. Three female figures — Root, River, and Fire — symbolize the past, present, and future of the Earth. Their movements reveal an inner conflict: forgotten origins, the fluidity of life, and the drive toward either destruction or renewal. Through the collision and reconciliation of these three bodies, the performance asks whether we are still capable of hearing the Earth’s voice and returning to harmony with the source.

Departure Location: Naryn Regional Academic Musical Drama Theatre named after Muratbek Ryskulov

Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall

Location: UCA Campus Courtyard Garden

A magical night-time adventure under the infinite sky. Led by Michael Garbutt, co-author of Mindful Eye, Playful Eye: 101 Amazing Museum Activities for Discovery, Connection, and Insight (Smithsonian Books), we will lie on the grass, engage in playful, mindful activities, hear poems about the clouds, the moon and the stars ... and let our imagination soar through the infinite sky.

Dr Michael Garbutt is a co-founder of the Nomad Festival and a writer, artist, documentary maker, and experience designer with qualifications in architecture, literature, and discourse analysis. His current research focuses on aesthetic experience in museums, galleries, and in everyday environments, including under the night sky.

Departure Location: UCA Campus Parking