Cinema in Central Asia is the first comprehensive and up-to-date account of the cinema of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan from its origins to the present day. Bringing together specialists from Central Asia, Russia, Europe and the United States, this companion to the cinema of the region combines serious scholarly study with practical accessibility to construct an historical narrative, discuss aspects of film production and consider the impact of film. The book also offers a deeper understanding of Central Asian culture that is invaluable with the geopolitical and economic emergence of this exciting region. The book opens with a broad history, paying particular attention to the emergence and expansion of the film industry, competing visions of nationalism and distinct phases of the post-Soviet film experience. A series of incisive articles written by specialists on Central Asian film follows. They explain early film institutions and themes, the impact of the Second World War, expressions of identity and protest during the Soviet era, as well as regional variations of post-Soviet filmmaking and political involvement.
The final section comprises biographical and filmographical entries on the principal figures of Central Asian cinema that offer a much-needed reference for scholars and filmgoers.

MICHAEL ROULAND is an historian of Russia, Central Asia and Afghanistan. He has published widely on Central Asian cinema, culture and national identity. Since 2003, he has taught courses on Russian, Central Eurasian and global history at Georgetown, Miami, and Stanford Universities. He is currently an historian for the US Air Force. GULNARA ABIKEYEVA is a Kazakh film critic and researcher, and the author of several books on the cinema of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. She is a member of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) and NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema), and has been a jury member on a range of international film festivals. BIRGIT BEUMERS is Professor in Film Studies at Aberystwyth University, Wales. She has published widely on Russian and Soviet cinema and theatre, and is on the Advisory Board of the KINO series at I.B.Tauris. She is editor of KinoKultura and of the journal Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema.