Three short-length films for less than ten days. Under such tempos you may shoot only telereports and sketches, which are hardly imaginable to be distinguished with high artistic level and high ideas. The only thing spectators may appreciate them for is actualness of theme. However, short-length documentary films shot by the participants of the seminar organized by “Internews” in Kairakkoom in the span of July 1-10 can claim for being shown on foreign telechannels. Well-known American film director Oleg Kharenchar sticks to this opinion; theoretical and practical classes being guided directly by him. As the foreign specialist considers, the principal merit of educational films was a demonstration of a severe but real picture of life.
“Noriniso and Malika”. This is the title given by the filming group including Muzaffar Yunusov, Muhammad Norov and Saidumron Saidov to their first short-length documentary production. The fellows are engaged in cinema-telefilming for several years, but they never worked together. Moreover, it is the first time they made a film. Those things they did beforehand are out of account. They themselves consider that all their previous drives could hardly be called films if to take into consideration the requirements of modern documentary cinema whose bright representative is Oleg Kharenchar.
Both heroines of the film - Noriniso and Malika - are ordinary Tajik women who remained without husbands due to circumstances. They both make their living themselves. One of them earns it only by her labor, however difficult it may be; the second one is just, like her counterpart, ready to work hard at rice plantations, but in addition to it she doesn’t disdain prostitution. The first one managed to preserve her moral principles because she is surrounded by father and sisters, her counterpart is on the verge of moral decline as she lost faith into normal future. The main thing is, they are not afraid of speaking openly about everything. The laconic author’s text used skillfully is only a statement of events or well-known facts. Quoting Muhammad Norov, first the group intended to refuse from the text in general, however, the circumstances of some episodes filming being disrupted made the group change their mind. To put it briefly, all agreed that modern documentary cinema wins in the majority of cases when this element is not used if there is no need in it. It is especially important when the film is a psychological drama.
Not all people know, but some of them might hear that there is the Center of stomatology and beauty in Sughd viloyat functioning for several years, it is called so as the center of plastic surgery. Films and sketches were shot about doctor Alijon Shokirov. But few people know that he is also a possessor of patents for inventions. Due to his modesty the scientist is hardly imaginable to boast of his inventions himself, but the latters are employed in medical centers outside Tajikistan. One had to “worm out” these words of him, because we have a unique home talent. Oleg Kharenchar himself joined in the work with the second filming group. In spite of time deficiency both cinematographs and the surgeon sustained they had to reshoot the interview several times. By the way, the kind-hearted doctor turned out to be extremely responsive not only for patients, but for cinema-workers either. He was always prompt for shooting. Quoting Oleg Kharenchar, “fifteen patents will suffice for three lives”. This is a uniqueness of the man who dealt with no one thousand residents of the viloyat. A short picture with the periods of the doctor’s life and activity restored by photos and accompanied by his own story and interviews taken from his mother and friends depicts objectively the image of the talented specialist.
I was pleased immensely working with the American documentary filmmaker who didn’t obtrude his ideas, but simply proposed them in order to teach us making a film on the grounds of his own experience not violating the principle of objectivity. That thing was valuable that he made us thing deeper, broader, farther in order to reach the truth. In the outcome we found it.
It is always difficult to conduct debates with colleagues. Oleg warned us about it as well. It is difficult because they are professionals, Kharenchar says. Those shortcomings a cinema-goer won’t notice will have been noticed by your colleagues at once. Because they do know cinema, they make it themselves. Every person has his/her own vision of a problem, his/her own way of its solution. So it happens that sometimes when discussing it they move aside. But Oleg Kharenchar considers it always useful when you see and discuss a film with colleagues. We also got convinced in it when on the last day experts - correspondents, film-directors, cameramen, editors - were invited to “Shifo” sanatorium on the Tajik sea coast. They were our colleagues from the local telecompanies “Asia”, “SM-1”, “Varorud” informational-analytical agency and “Varorud” newspaper bearing the same title. One of them have a big experience of work in TV, others are only beginners. The meeting was useful for both parties. May be, some of us felt ill at ease for not having managed to embody the ideas we cherished. Drawbacks were not missed by experienced telejournalists, they didn’t evade their shrewd eyes and inquisitive mind. However, the first two works I mentioned were evaluated for their merits. Local spectators are not excluded to see these films on TV.
Though I have been working in “Varorud” informational-analytical agency for the third year in a row being engaged in printed production (the agency produce is considered as electronic editions too) up to now I consider myself to be a TV journalist. The fate made me change my bearings. But when an opportunity appears to deal with telejournalism or cinema I join a group and, as they say, memorize my old ways. The seminar in Kairakkoom was that same chance for me when I not only recalled those wonderful twenty years of life, sometimes full of dramatism, risk, struggle in a quest for truth, but replenished my television and cinema knowledge which is a little bit out-of-date for today. I couldn’t have helped taking advantage of the opportunity when the renowned votary of cinema being simultaneously producer, cameraman and film-director arrives almost to your own house. Oleg Kharenchar’s theory, just as his practice appeared to be fairly simple - achievement of truth. And nothing excessive. Proceeding from this assumption he builds up his film. Let his oratory art be not so high as, say, with Pozner or Mikhalkov, but the persistence in developing the idea is astonishing. He has his own categories, which permit to extend human thoughts, which would cling to that chain that is bound to lead to the essence of event, fact, psychology, protagonist’s character. The way to the simple truth should move through them and a cinematographist pursues the way of searching the truth. I think, the participants of the seminar who spent only a day for theoretical classes didn’t endure great difficulties during practical sessions which began with a choice of themes and their elaboration. The course of practice was already elucidated by me when I told about two formed experimental filming group.
Now, a few words about those who granted such a unique opportunity of intercourse with the famous cinematographs, sharing his knowledge, advices, recommendations; I am more than sure that this influence which will tell beneficially upon the development of documentary films in Tajikistan. “Internews” which appointed itself in charge of all the expenditures beset with the seminar, financed all its activity aimed at making background films, created beautiful conditions for work and rest at the same time. Of course, the complex assignment required intensive painstaking efforts, but each time when going to the bank of the Syr-Darya river in the spans of reprieve, enjoying fresh air and swimming in clean limpid water a person restored strength immediately - both physical and mental. And the cosy sanatorium turned out to be a very appropriate place for the flight of fancy and ideas.