Saodat Ismailova
Her Right, 2020

Single-channel video collage, black and white, sound
14 min 47 sec
Commissioned by Video Jam, UK
TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection



“The Hujum movement was a Soviet political campaign initiated in 1924. Its objective was to liberate local women. The campaign had profound consequences for Uzbek women caught between traditional societal norms and foreign state ideologies. The film pays homage to the memory of the women who made sacrifices for the freedom of Uzbek women today.” This insert, written in old Uzbek, which is Uzbekistan’s official language today, opens Her Right, a video montage created by Kazakh filmmaker Saodat Ismailova. Featuring excerpts from Uzbek feature films dating from 1927 to 1985, Her Right revolves around the Soviet government’s Hujum campaign directed at emancipating Muslim women by discouraging the use of the burqa, locally known as Paranji, and their adherence to religious prescriptions.While the Hujum was a multi-pronged campaign, geared at getting girls signed up for school and women integrated into the workforce and public life, what captured the attention was their unveiling.
 
The term “Hujum,” translating to “assault,” reflects the forceful nature of the women’s rights campaigns orchestrated by Soviet authorities. Indeed, the Hujum marked a critical juncture, as Uzbek women found themselves trapped between traditional societal and religious norms and the atheistic ideology imposed by the state. As women resisted the USSR’s rulings, their lives hung in the balance: the threat of harassment loomed over veiled and unveiled women alike, with those veiled facing scrutiny from the new regime and their unveiled counterparts encountering hostility from traditionalists. 
 
The Hujum and women’s movement took center stage in Uzbek Soviet cinema, significantly influencing the film industry. Her Right ingeniously incorporates rarely accessible silent films, including iconic works like Ali Khamraev’s Without Fear (1971) and Shukhrat Abbasov’s The Roads of Fire (1978–84), shedding light on this critical chapter in Uzbek history. Unlike films directed by Russians and male filmmakers, which tend to direct both an orientalist and patriarchal gaze on the stories they narrate, Ismailova’s montage emphasizes the emotional experiences of women, torn between the promises of emancipation, the dramatic challenges and threats they faced, and state propaganda. This emphasis is evident in the attention to facial expressions, emotional nuance, and eye movements the film displays, effectively conveying the characters’ inner world. Following the dissolution of the USSR, many Soviet-era films became inaccessible due to misalignment with the ideologies of the newly formed republics. 
Ismailova’s work serves as a poignant reminder of this transformative historical period, capturing the complexities of navigating tradition and state-imposed ideologies through the lens of women’s experiences. Beyond her cinematic pursuits, Ismailova actively contributes to developing and promoting Central Asian cinema in Uzbekistan and Europe.
 
 Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1981. Lives and works between Paris, France, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
 

Saodad Ismailova dedicated this film to the actresses of Uzbek cinema: V. Baranova, R. Messerer, L. Petrosova, K. Pimyunova, A. Tyumenbaeva, Z. Shakirova, L. Djalilova, N. Alieva, M. Mukhamedova, R. Madrahimova, D. Kambarova, T. Shakirova.