The 13th Zabaykalsky International Film Festival has concluded in Chita.
By Jabbar Vahidi, especially for “Sangar”
This year, the festival organizers focused on films that reflect human unity, profound moral values, and traditional family ideals.
The geography of participants was truly remarkable: Singapore, Türkiye, Hungary, France, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Tajikistan, as well as Zabaykalsky’s neighboring countries — China and Mongolia.
One of the festival’s distinctive features was that not only Russian actors and directors attended, but also numerous international guests. After the screenings, they answered questions from the audience and shared stories about their journeys in cinema.
Mongolian director Batdelger Byambasuren presented to the Zabaykalsky audience a film about the rise of the world-famous music group “Tatar” (18+).
The director visited Chita for the first time and noted that the festival was organized at a very high level, with guests receiving an exceptionally warm welcome. Batdelger Byambasuren also emphasized that the Mongolian film industry is developing rapidly today, while Mongolian films are increasingly participating in international film festivals and winning awards in competitive programs.
The director has six films to his credit. In April, he took part in a competitive selection in Moscow, where his film “Tatar” (18+) was named among the top 12 works out of 2,500 entries.
Responding to a question about Western attempts to drive a wedge between the peoples of Russia and Mongolia, Batdelger Byambasuren stated that he considers Russians and Mongolians to be brotherly nations. One of his films is dedicated to the historical events at the Khalkhin Gol River, where Soviet and Mongolian forces jointly repelled Japanese aggression.
Currently, Batdelger Byambasuren is preparing a new project about World War II with Russian participation. Casting is expected to begin in June, including in Chita.
“We have no right to rewrite history. Our task is to show events as they truly happened and to convey this historical truth to our audience,” the Mongolian director said.
Tajik director Muhiddin Muzaffar also presented his film “Fish on the Hook” (16+) in Chita. The film is taking part in the “New Vision” competition program of the 13th Zabaykalsky International Film Festival (18+).
According to the director, he is deeply grateful to the organizers of the Zabaykalsky Film Festival for selecting his film for the competition screening.
“This is very important to me because people in Russia sometimes develop an image of Tajikistan that does not reflect reality. We filmed ‘Fish on the Hook’ together with Iran and also invited a cinematography team, production designers, and makeup artists from Moscow — around seven people in total,” Muhiddin Muzaffar said.
“I am grateful to the cinematographers from Moscow who came and saw the real Tajikistan. This is extremely important! It means a great deal to me that Russian audiences watch my films. My graduation project at VGIK — the film ‘Fortuna’ (12+) — was screened in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Orenburg, Kazan, and Ulyanovsk, appearing at a total of 11 film festivals across Russia. After the screenings, people would tell me: ‘So this is what you are really like! What beautiful nature you have!’ Cinema can honestly tell the story of my country. I would like to thank those who selected films for the Zabaykalsky International Film Festival for recognizing and appreciating this sincerity,” the director said.
He also shared his thoughts on Western attempts to “cancel” Russian culture and spoke about attitudes toward Russia in Tajikistan.
“Ideological wars have existed, still exist, and will continue to exist. But I believe that the Russian state and the Russian people are handling this external pressure with dignity while preserving their core values — humanity, family, children, and social unity. That is why none of the attempts to ‘cancel’ Russia or its culture will succeed. The most important thing here is a deep respect for one’s roots and a true understanding of one’s mission.
This can even be seen in the example of the Zabaykalsky International Film Festival (18+), whose organizers carry out their work honestly, selecting even worthy Western films for screening. People say that difficult times reveal who people truly are. Therefore, in today’s reality, it is important to remain faithful to your values and continue doing your work,” Muhiddin Muzaffar emphasized.
Speaking about the attitude of the Tajik people toward Russians, the director noted that it has remained respectful.
“We lived side by side for 70 years, we were one people, and we complemented one another in the sphere of art. This is one of our greatest treasures! Yes, during the 35 years of independence, we have been making greater efforts to study the history of Tajikistan, but at the same time, we preserve the best things that were established during the Soviet era. We are grateful that we have brothers who are always by our side,” the director said.
During the film festival, a team of Chinese filmmakers announced that they had begun shooting a documentary in Chita about the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation. According to Chinese producer Xuan Guo, Chita is frequently mentioned in China’s historical documents.
“In 1945, the Soviet Red Army launched an offensive against the Japanese occupiers — this event remains one of the most important chapters in our history,” Xuan Guo said.
In his view, cinema was created to unite people.
“A festival like this is not primarily about competition — it is about bringing people together. And of course, the fact that foreign filmmakers can come here and present their works plays a significant role in strengthening human connections. Stories about honor, sincerity, conscience, ordinary people, and the hardest trials that shape their character — all of this can be found in the festival’s films. And it does not matter what language the actors speak, as long as they are sincere with the audience,” Xuan Guo believes.
