Presentation of the documentary film "To follow the Kaiberen" directed by Tilek Murataliev.

On June 26, 2014 the presentation of new documentary film "To follow the Kaiberen" by Tilek Murataliev was presented in the Republican Library for Children and Youth named after K. Bayalinov. It was the first public demonstration for experts and specialists in the field of environment. The project was created by "Taalim Forum" with the support of "Institute of Sustainable Development Strategy" Public Fund that promotes biocultural diversity through local initiatives in the northern and inner Tien Shan. It also was supported by the Department of Hunting State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.  

The film was created to get public attention, especially residents from mountain regions of Naryn and Issyk-Kul to the problem of preserving Red Book animals as mountain goats, sheeps (Marco Polo); protect them from modern hunting predation rifle. During pre-production numerous meetings were held with local communities to determine the scope and level of awareness of the problem; studied preserved traditional knowledge and understanding of mountain animals and hunting on them, to involve experts in the field. The aim of the film is to promote the idea of respect for the living world of nature, a reminder of the sacred knowledge prohibiting predatory destruction of animals, as well as the fact that local communities were active defenders of wildlife land.

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Documentary films can be very strong communication tools by bringing to light stories illustrating important sides and issues of bio-cultural diversity. Films can raise public awareness, can educate, bring changes and at the same time they can entertain and affect emotions of the audiences.

Within the project aimed at improving communications on the issues of biocultural diversity in the region through active participatory processes, it was planned to produce a documentary film about custodians or keepers of traditional knowledge. In the result the film about custodians of traditional knowledge called ‘The Keepers’ as a series of short films was created. It includes three films: “Great Storytellers” (about phenomena of Manas-tellers); “Music of Immortal Worlds” (about traditional music art) and “Sacred Space” (about the yurt). The filmmaker – Dalmira Tilepbergen. Texts were prepared with the support of the film consultant – Indira Raimberdieva, Director of Peacebuilding Center. Each film is 15 minutes long. Films were translated into three languages: Kyrgyz, Russian, and English. Three parts of the film "The Keepers" speak about revival and development of spiritual sources of everyday life and traditions of Kyrgyz people. The films attract public attention to custodians and keepers of traditional knowledge, to the unique connections of cultural and biological diversities and to importance of their preservation.

The film Great Storytellers speaks about art of ‘Manaschy’ – Manas-tellers. Epic "Manas" - is one of the most mysterious and striking phenomena in the culture of Kyrgyz people. Sacred Space is about yurt as an expression of the very essence of Kyrgyz people since it reflects the key qualities of people – rationality in everyday life, moral values, deep intuitiveness and devotion to spiritual world. Music of Immortal World speaks about traditional music which permeates the entire Kyrgyz nomadic life. It always played an important and multi-faceted role in the fate of Kyrgyz people.

Films first were presented to partner organizations which representatives gathered in the regional office of TCF. Filmmaker Dalmira Tilepbergen presented her work. All films were positively accepted by the audience. We received some recommendations and comments from the audience. After correcting and translating, the films were shown to various audiences such as meeting organized by partner organizations Institute of Strategies of Sustainable Development and Peace-building Center. We demonstrated films in three boarding schools for orphans. Multiplied in discs, films were distributed among partner organizations and recommended to Public TV and Radio Company. Films were uploaded in Internet and proposed for the Festival of Ethnographic Films in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Synopsis of the film

Spiritual revival of every nation is closely related to the resurgence of the views on its own history and culture. However, this "renovation" often becomes a stumbling block in the ways of modern development. The centuries of prevailing of rational or narrowly materialistic worldviews created a gap between modern people and traditional culture. That is why regeneration of perception of the authentic culture is like the opening of the forgotten doors, and the custodians and keepers are the "keys" to these doors. It is not so easy to find these “doors” in the context of well-established habits in the perception of the surrounding world. In this case, our cultural riches will not be opened up to us in its full beauty and potential without their custodians and keepers.

During realization of the ‘Local initiatives support program’ of the project, two more documentaries were made as small creative projects – ‘Kalyak’ and ‘Osuyat’. Another documentary called ‘The Silence of the Words’ with Emil Shukurov was dedicated to 75^th anniversary of the well-known ecologist. 

Communication project is aimed at improving communications in the field of preserving bio-cultural diversity in our country, broadening of the number of partners and supporters. The project is implementing by Taalim-Forum since 2011 with the support of the Christensen Fund that since 2002 works in the field of preserving biocultural diversity in the world by supporting various initiatives of local organizations and individuals.

With this project we would like to contribute in preservation of our unique nature and culture as a value not only of our people, but as an important link in the system of the global biocultural diversity.

Changes and uncertainty always accompanied humanity, however, today the scale and speed of changes are much bigger, and we don’t know how our world will change. That is why strategies of further development and adaptations to prospective changes should take into account various types of relationships of people and nature – typical for cultures of various people. Today we live in the conditions of systemic crisis that impact all spheres of our existence and living.

Many people today understand this and try to move away from modern dominated paradigm of the world development. The universe is no longer considered as a certain mechanical system, human body is no longer considered as a machine, social relations are not seen as competition for the resources and survival. We can see the turn from the belief that the goal of development of any society is unlimited material progress achieved through economic and technological development. New understanding goes deeper, by finding connections with the philosophy of spiritual traditions.

In the west, the new understanding is called deep ecology, holistic science. For us it is interpreted as rethinking of spiritual heritage of people which is not only deeply ecological in its essence, but contains strong potential for finding a way out of today’s systemic crisis, changing peoples’ attitude to their lives, communities and land. Many people recognized the value of cultural and spiritual heritage as a potential for improving the health of society and the land.

However, our voices are still too weak on the background of bright billboards and shop windows, discussions of political, economic and social problems.

In this situation we need to use more effective communication strategies, directing our voices and actions in such ways so that they can reach minds and hearts of various groups of people, including children and those who make important decisions. We must go beyond the narrow and specialized communications, seek cooperation, mutual partnership, increasing the overall effect of our work, from which the whole land and society can benefit.

The objectives of communication project include:

1. Combining the efforts of partner organizations by creating a unified public network on bio-cultural diversity in the country.
2. Developing and strengthening the capacity of local experts, producing and coordinating strategy and development in the field of preserving of bio-cultural diversity.
3. Improving information exchange in social media and Internet,  creating a platform for dialogue, discussions and implementation of practical initiatives.

Within the project we united organizations working in the field of conservation of nature and culture into the network on conservation of bio-cultural diversity called "Tabiyat Taalimi". For exchanging information we created a website (www.tabiyat.kg/) and web-page on Facebook (https://www.facebook .com / Tabiyat.Kg).

The mission and goals of Tabiyat Taalimi public partnership network (read more)

The mission and goals of Tabiyat Taalimi public partnership network

Clearly and accessibly, on practical examples to convey to our contemporaries:

1. Opinion of those who today cannot "speak": plants, animals, birds and all living beings on the land of Kyrgyzstan. To show that people are simply part of our beautiful and diverse nature, they should not be in the role of "a master of nature" with ability to subjugate everything in it. To demonstrate that being a real and successful person means to live and develop according to the laws of nature that created him/her on this planet, and not according to artificial rules of destructive and insatiable consumption.
2. The voice of our ancestors on preservation of culture and traditions that allowed them to live in harmony with their environment, community and themselves. To prove that all these are spiritual and historical value of our people, defining uniqueness and the basic tenets of development of the country. Their modernization and harmonized integration into today's real life need to help to Kyrgyzstan finally to gain independence in choosing their special models in promoting the country.
3. The need to unite all progressive forces in the country seeking to make Kyrgyzstan ecologically clean country, rich with its cultural diversity. These factors should become the main foundation for its attractiveness, civilized and harmonious progress. Therefore to achieve even small, but very important practical results, should give additional strength and confidence to all activists. Step by step integrating and accumulating intellectual potential and achieving greater practical results, this will impact government decisions in the field of sustainable development of the country.

The main goal of the Tabiyat Taalimi public partnership network on promoting BCD:

To create and develop communication infrastructure on uniting on the basis of the Partnership Agreement all constructive forces of the country for development and promotion of ideas of biocultural diversity in Kyrgyzstan. For the success of its operation, the main criteria should include realization of the specific projects in promoting and expanding this initiative to become sustainable and significant social movement in the country.

The main results of the communication project (2012-2013)

• Documentary films
• Video-lessons
• TV and radioprograms
• Biocultural journalism: contest for the best article, workshop and the Round Table
• Small creative projects
• Meetings and public lectures
• Communications in social media and Internet
• Printed materials

Other activities:

• “Eco-bag Festival” (2012)
• “Eco-bag Festival” (2013)