The film «Arzyman» is a new dedication to Magtymguly Fragi

The fate and legacy of the great Turkmen poet and philosopher of the East, the founder of Turkmen classical literature, Magtymguly Fragi, continue to resonate in the hearts of people, inspiring artists to new creative endeavours.

In 2024, a large-scale celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of outstanding poet took place, which not only encompassed Turkmenistan but also received wide attention beyond its borders. Exhibitions, film premieres and cultural events were organised around the world as part of the celebrations. Today it is clear that the past anniversary was not the final point, but a new round of genuine interest in the personality of the philosopher. Director, screenwriter, and founder of the «Mekanfilm» studio, Charyyar Seyidov, offers his interpretation of his fate in the new film, «Arzyman».

Currently, work on the film has entered the editing stage, and the author is lifting the curtain on the main idea of the film. This is not a monumental painting about a recognised classic, but a touching immersion into the origins – into that very childhood when the future poet was a simple boy. The viewer will see him among rural children, in the pastures, in the role of a shepherd, overcoming his first, still childish, but such important difficulties.

The path to creating the film began for Charyyar Seyidov with a pilgrimage to his origins. Having studied the archives, the director went to the Balkan region, to the legendary village of Gerkez – the historical homeland of Fragi.

Filming took place among the picturesque mountains of the Lesser Balkan, along untrodden paths, where every stone remembers the steps of the great poet. In search of the right shot, the director descended into caves where only a glimmer of sunlight barely penetrated. It was in this mysterious silence, accompanied by the measured sound of falling drops of the spring, that I was able to capture the magic of the moment: how a child, perceiving the world with childish spontaneity and emotionality, begins to put together the first words into lines that are destined to conquer the world.

– The title of the painting, – «Arzyman», means – «Desired» in Turkmen. The national melody that became the soul of the film also has the same name, − says Charyyar Seyidov.

Through music and visual imagery, the author leads the viewer to the finale, where the hero seems to dissolve into the majestic landscapes of Gerkez, becoming an echo of his own immortal words: «Truly, he became the mouth of Turkmenistan». This voice continues to sound through the centuries.

People's Artist of Turkmenistan Ovez Gelenov, Gulnabat Abdullayeva, Mekan Jumabayev and other stage masters took part in the creation of the film. The role of little Magtymguly was entrusted to schoolboy Dengizhan Abdurahmanov, whose spontaneity helped bring the image of the genius to life as a child. Work on the film is planned to be completed by the 27th of June – the Day of Culture and Art Workers, as well as the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi.