The concept of what is reality and how cinema can present it, is one that has been “tormenting” arthouse filmmakers forever. Yalkin Tuychiev presents his take on the topic, trying to approach reality through intense beauty.
“2000 Songs for Farida” screened at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
The story takes place in a remote location in Central Asia, during the civil war following the 1917 Russian Revolution, that ended with the Bolsheviks taking over from the khans and emirs that dominated before. In this setting, Kamil lives with his three wives, who follow an exhausting everyday routine that allows them to survive in a rather harsh setting. As Kamil has not managed to have a child with Robibar, the most beautiful among the three, he brings in yet a fourth wife, the titular Farida, and tension soon mounts.
Tuychiev creates a very intriguing setting, lingering between the dystopia and the Far West, with the focus though, being on the beauty, as dictated by the excellent cinematography by Bahadir Yuldashev, the scaring, frequently violent beauty of Yulduz Rajabova's Robibar, and the plethora of songs, which himself has written. At the same time, however, the beauty here is not just a decorative aspect, but essentially an integral part of the narrative, with every frame, action, and sound having a purpose within the movie. This aspect makes “2000 Songs” a rather demanding viewing, since no detail is to be missed, even more so since the questions and the mysteries Tuychiev presents in the beginning, are answered and revealed through very brief scenes or even implied on occasion, with Yulduz Rajabova's editing being the main medium of this approach.
At the same time, this sense of mystery about the who, where or what the characters are doing, which is also heightened by the many scenes that are presented through the perspective of someone who peaks on what is happening, works exceptionally well in entertainment terms, carrying the movie from beginning to end in the most satisfying way. The same applies to the fact that, although things are calm for the most part, there is a feeling that violence is just around the corner, which creates a tension that also adds to the appeal of the movie.
Sanobar Haqnazarova as Kamil gives a great performance, managing to emit a sense of danger and power even without words, that only crumbles occasionally in front of Robibar. In that fashion, the moments he truly reacts are among the most memorable in the movie.
Yalkin Tuychiev has come up with an impressive movie, a piece of “true cinema” that thrives on all aspects, and a must-see by all fans of meaningful (and beautiful) movies.
