Beyond Samarkand

A film by Lisa Eder and Thomas Wartmann
© 2005 / 43 min (German+French) and 52 min (English) / Digi Beta / 16:9 / Stereo

The film tells the story of 17 year old Zümbüla who lives with her family in the mountain region Boysun on the Afghan border — a place difficult to attain. As it has been the custom for generations, the parents decide about the future of their daughters: Zümbüla, the youngest of seven children, is supposed to be married soon. But she has her own ideas about love and she falls for a horseman.
Zümbüla lets the viewer take part in her dreams and longings. From her point of view all days’ life is told, with all her looking forward to the Buzkashi riding match, her living in a tent as her ancestors did who were roaming nomads, and her faith in shamans. Despite decades of Soviet imperialism, the communist ideology could never draw back the people’s old religion. With a pilgrimage to Samarkand the religious father of Zümbüla fulfills himself his dream of a lifetime. He takes his daughter with him on this painstaking voyage. He wants her to witness a fairytale from 1001 nights and the desert town Samarkand before she gets married...

Awards and Festivals:
- Blue Panther Bavarian Television Award 2006 — Best Documentary
- Intern. Mountain Film Festival Graz 2005 — First Prize Foreign Cultures
- Intern. Mountain Film Festival Trento 2006 — Gold Award “City of Bolzano”