On September 2, the Uzbek premiere of the short documentary film “A New Look: Uzbek Fashion Following Independence” by British director Dan Akhm took place in Tashkent. A special screening, timed to coincide with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, was held at the Human House Gallery with the support of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
The film “A New Look: Uzbek Fashion Following Independence” focuses on the development of fashion in the first decades of independent Uzbekistan, and its screening became a particularly symbolic event, part of the celebration of the independence anniversary. Through the recollections of those directly involved in those events, archival materials, and newsreels, the authors recount a time when the country’s first private fashion projects emerged, a new industry was taking shape, and a search for a contemporary visual language melding national traditions with new trends was underway.
The Tashkent audience noted not only the historical value of the collected material but also the film’s atmosphere, which allows to see the past events through the everyday lives of the people who created the new industry.
Some of the film’s characters were present at the premiere. Human House founder Lola Saifi saw the finished film for the first time with the audience and spoke warmly of the authors’ work. Her speech triggered a discussion in which everyone had the opportunity to share their memories and stories from the 1990s.
Marat Akhmedjanov, founder of Uzbekistan’s first private fashion magazine, Pery, and a modeling agency, also addressed the audience. He was a direct participant in the events depicted in the film. Footage from the shows and festivals he organized formed the basis for the film.
The Uzbek premiere marks a new stage in the film’s festival history. Previously, “A New Look: Uzbek Fashion Following Independence” was shown at the ECG Eurasian Film Festival in London and the Burabay International Film Festival in Kazakhstan. The Tashkent screening marks the first time the film has been shown in Uzbekistan, the country whose history it depicts. Throughout the year, the film will be screened at international festivals in Europe and Latin America.
