Bir Duino Film Festival: Kyrgyzstan Bans Film Screening
Kyrgyzstan’s State Cinema Center Revokes Registration Certificate for Film “Wartime Notes”
In a recent announcement, Kyrgyzstan’s State Cinema Center revealed that it has revoked the registration certificate for the film “Wartime Notes” by Barbara Cupisti. The film was set to be screened on November 30, but the Center cited “scenes of an extremist nature” as the reason for the revocation.
According to the Cinema Center, they cannot allow the screening of a film that could potentially provoke interethnic tension. The film was intended to be part of the Bir Duino International Human Rights Film Festival, scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 1 in Bishkek.
This is not the first time that the screening of films at the Bir Duino Film Festival has been banned. In 2022, films such as “This Rain Will Never Stop” by Alina Gorlova and “Mara” by Sasha Kulak were also prohibited from being shown.
The State Cinema Center also emphasized that the screening and distribution of films that have not passed state registration are strictly prohibited in Kyrgyzstan.
The decision to revoke the registration certificate has sparked mixed reactions, with some expressing disappointment at the limitations imposed on artistic expression, while others support the Center’s efforts to prevent potential social and political unrest.
