Why Tajikistan

 Background

 When I first travelled to Tajikistan and Central Asia in the summer of 2000, although I had gone there as a journalist, actually I found myself a pilgrim who is visiting sacred lands of Persian culture. From Kharazm to Khatlan and the area of Balkh, it has been the land of prophets, scholars, and great distinguished Sufis and Persian speaking poets and it has been the meeting point of the myths of Iran and Touran. Cities of Central Asia like its mountains and rivers have been tied to history and a rich spirituality.

 During that trip, I was intending to produce a series of radio features called “Tajik Identity” for the BBC Persian Section. In the process of collecting materials for the work, I became familiar with many Tajik intellectuals and had interviewed them. During that visit which lasted some three months, I discovered an essential point: despite all their cultural richness, the Tajiks do not know the world and the world is not familiar with them either. I decided to contribute to the task of introducing them to the outside world. Charkh-o-falak is my most recent work in this area which has been a personal pursuit.

 Idea to make a film on Tajik music and dance

 Considering the fact that music and dance within Islamic Sufi contexts is among the most prominent cultural properties of the Tajiks and they are reminiscent of ancient Persian cultures which have either been forgotten in the other two Persian speaking countries of Iran and Afghanistan or they have lost their old values there, my intention was to present and uncover this rich cultural asset for Persian speaking people and other Muslims as well as the wider audience of the world through introducing Davlatmand Kholov. It is the prominence and superiority of the Tajiks among other Muslim nations that they combine a sweet and yet gentle Sufi-like dance with classical Persian poetry and lively, peaceful and dynamic music. Dawlatmand with his music, Falak, is a prominent example of this Tajiki style and approach to music and dance.

 For the realization of the idea to make a film about Tajikistan, inevitably I had to take the steps on my own, as I found few people who knew the place and had realized what I had discovered and at the same time be a filmmaker or producer as well. Therefore, I set out myself for this work and took up the task of being both the producer and later on the director. Charkh-o-falak is my first film. Perhaps if it were not for the sake of Tajikistan I would never make films.