In Chingiz Aytmatov’s 1958 novella Jamilia, the titular heroine bucks convention and escapes an arranged marriage to elope with her true love. An iconic figure for women in Kyrgyzstan, she serves as the entry point for director Aminatou Echard who, by getting her subjects to talk about their relationships to the character, creates an insightful portrait of Kyrgyz women today, many of whom are modern Jamilias fighting against anti-feminist traditions. Shot beautifully on Super 8, the film is a gem.

Director: Aminatou Echard

Runtime: 84 mins