In 2026, the «Oguzhan» Turkmenfilm Association will celebrate an important date - the 100th anniversary of national cinema. Work is underway to create a documentary and publicistic film «Keşplerde ýaşaýan ykballar» especially for the anniversary.
The script was written by Ore Dashgynov, and the director was Rahymberdi Annagulyyev. The film, collected bit by bit from newsreel footage, will show how famous films were created and introduce viewers to key figures - directors, artists and cameramen whose names are inscribed in history.
In addition to documentary footage, the film will include feature episodes that will recreate working moments from the lives of filmmakers. Scriptwriter Ore Dashgynov notes that, despite the difficulties of the early period, Turkmen filmmakers have always strived to create films that not only appealed to viewers, but also received recognition from professionals from other countries. This aspiration, according to him, became one of the keys to the success of national cinema.
The final part will be devoted to the modern stage of cinematography development. It is planned that filming will take place in Ashgabat, Ahal and Balkan velayats.
The birthday of Turkmen cinema is considered to be 7th of February, 1926. It was then that a film factory was organised in Ashgabat, producing documentaries about the life and everyday life of the country. Soon, feature films began to appear on topics reflecting the spirit of the epoch - the struggle for cotton, the creation of collective farms, the search for oil, etc.
The first feature film, Alexander Ledashchev's film «I Will Return», was released in 1935. It was a silent film with subtitles, based on the poem by the Turkmen poet Oraz Tachnazarov «The Farm Labourer».
Another important film of that time was the film «Dursun» (1940). It became the first project of director Yevgeniy Ivanov-Barkov at the Ashgabat Film Studio, where he trained the first national specialists - actors, directors and cameramen. It was on his set that Alty Garlyyev began working, who later became a prominent figure in Turkmen cinema. A separate section of the film will be dedicated to Turkmen animation. Among the significant names of the 70s, director and production designer Mojek Charyyev stands out. His first cartoon, «Bovenjik», was released in 1975. Later, he created several more animated films, such as «The Poor Man and the Greedy Bay» and «The Flying Carpet».
- I think the film will be very interesting, - says screenwriter Ore Dashgynov. - We have already selected actors who will play the roles of famous representatives of the national film industry.
