Saodat Ismailova's Films Trace Disappearance Across Central Asia
Uzbek filmmaker Saodat Ismailova's work explores how present realities are shaped by shifting relationships between humans, nonhumans, and landscapes. Her film 'Aral, Fishing in an Invisible Sea' (2004) documents the Aral Sea's ecological collapse due to Soviet cotton irrigation, following three generations of a fishing family. 'The Haunted' (2017) examines the extinct Turanian tiger and cultural loss. 'Melted into the Sun' (2024) reimagines the 8th-century figure al-Muqanna, weaving through deserts and industrial sites across Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Ismailova's films are on view at the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC, from June 13 to November 29, 2026, and at LUMA Arles from July 4, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
Key facts
- Saodat Ismailova is an Uzbek filmmaker and artist.
- Her film 'Aral, Fishing in an Invisible Sea' (2004) documents the Aral Sea's drying due to Soviet cotton irrigation.
- The Aral Sea was diverted in the 1960s for cotton production, causing ecological catastrophe.
- 'The Haunted' (2017) focuses on the extinct Turanian tiger and cultural heritage loss.
- 'Melted into the Sun' (2024) reimagines the 8th-century figure al-Muqanna.
- The film travels through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
- Ismailova's work is on view at the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC, from June 13 to November 29, 2026.
- Her work 'Amanat, The Sacred Forest' is at LUMA Arles from July 4, 2026 to January 10, 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Saodat Ismailova
- al-Muqanna
Institutions
- National Museum of Asian Art
- LUMA Arles
- ArtReview
Locations
- Uzbekistan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Central Asia
- Aral Sea
- Akkala
- Mizdakhan Necropolis
- Kirov Reservoir
- Washington, DC
- Arles