Educational Media Reviews Online

The official dissolution of the Soviet Union took place on December 26th, 1991. However, the clamoring of independence began from within several years before. During that time, citizens began to protest and push for sovereignty, all in hopes for a better tomorrow. The grass will be greener in the future and the failings of a communistic regime would be realized. Success would be achieved through sovereignty. Life would move along towards betterment. Or…it might just move along at a strange status quo. Surely, it could not get any worse.

Murghab is a documentary about the town of the same name, which sits in an arid tundra 3,650 miles above sea level. Settled by the Russians in the late 19th century, it once served as a military outpost set within the vast Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. Under the auspices of Soviet rule, a town was built with the general commodities one would expect – shelter, electricity, water, and sources for food. Once the Soviet Union crumbled, the citizens were left to fend for themselves, losing the once strong connection to Moscow and the stability it provided. As population steadily declined, the men and women learned new ways to adapt to life in a post-Soviet world.

The film follows the hustle and bustle of quiet Murghab through the lives of various townspeople. The point-of-view camera work acts as a fly on the wall, just observing without any unnecessary judgment. Being devoid of a narrator, the film implores the viewer to just observe the ongoings of the day. There are men who dig up teresken, a dried out shrub, and bundle it with their bare hands. What at first seems like a strange task quickly makes sense, as the shrub proves to be the main energy source for all. Despite their weathered faces and the backbreaking work, no one complains – they just do. The same goes for the farmer who has to transport seedlings daily from his home to a greenhouse in order to get as much sun as possible for a hopeful crop in the spring months, only to bring them home at night for assured warmth. Food insecurity is never remarked upon. Neither are successes or failures. Just hope.

Through the documentary, the viewer is able to behold and admire the way Murghab flows, just like its neighboring river of the same name. Each scene seems incredibly candid and genuine, with each shot organic and the nameless interviewees are seemingly unprompted to speak unless they truly desired. The camera focusing on a person’s hands is a prominent trend, further demonstrating the sheer skills each individual possesses.

Murghab is a rare film – one that makes you reassess what is important in your own life. There is no major problem, no climax, and no resolution. It just is, and the people are simply, and beautifully, working to exist better each and every day. It is a work of art, a display of humanity, and a peek into a culture that its people are proud of. Just ask the young gentleman who states he hopes to live in Murghab for the rest of his life.

This film will be an interesting addition to any college library collection. The focus on ethnography, sociology, and world history can draw scholarly conversations about struggle and survival, even outside of a post-Soviet world situation. Viewers should be aware that the subtitles don’t correctly sync up with each speaker, which may be frustrating for some.

Awards:
Winner, best documentary feature, 2020 Dumbo Film Festival New York; Official Selection: 2020 Silk Road International Film Festival, 2020 German International Ethnographic Film Festival (GIEFF), 2020 Film Festival della Lessinia (FFDL), 2020 DOCUTAH, 2021 International Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec (FIFEQ)

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