Nezhnost

Young Sandshar spends a carefree afternoon on the banks of a river before the gates of Tashkent. There he meets the slightly older Lena and feels love and affection for the first time. In the following chapters of the film, which is structured like a novel, the story of Lena’s past and present unfold, as well as her relationship to Timur, who is the same age as her. Ishmukhamedov shot his graduation film at the state film school VGIK in his home town of Tashkent. At the time of the film’s release, he was 24 and thus extraordinarily young within the USSR film system to have directed a feature. NEZHNOST is full of youthful zest and sensitivity for its young protagonists and their emotional worlds. Bathed in bright light, the exterior shots of Tashkent give the impression of a whole new awakening – although the Thaw Era had in fact ended by the time the film was made. (nf/gv)