Event

The Desert of Forbidden Art with filmmakers Q & A

Dir: Tchavdar Georgiev, Amanda Pope / 2010 / Uzbekistan, Russia / 80 min / High Definition

The incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars is stashed in a far-off desert of Uzbekistan. During the Soviet regime, a small group of artists remained true to their vision despite threats of torture, imprisonment and death. Their plight inspires a frustrated young painter, Igor Savitsky. Pretending to buy State-approved art, Savitsky instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artistsâ works and creates a museum in the desert of Uzbekistan, far from the watchful eyes of the KGB. Though a penniless artist himself, he cajoles the cash to pay for the art from the same authorities who are banning it. But his greatest discovery is an unknown school of artists who settle in Uzbekistan after the Russian revolution of 1917, encountering a unique Islamic culture, as exotic to them as Tahiti was for Gauguin. They develop a startlingly original style, fusing European modernism with centuries-old Eastern traditions. Ben Kingsley, Sally Field and Ed Asner voice the diaries and letters of Savitsky and the artists. Intercut with recollections of the artistsâ children and rare archival footage, the film takes us on a dramatic journey of sacrifice for the sake of creative freedom. Described as âone of the most remarkable collections of 20th century Russian artâ by the The New York Times and located in one of the worldâs poorest regions, today these priceless paintings are a lucrative target for Islamic fundamentalists, corrupt bureaucrats, and art profiteers. The collection remains as endangered as when Savitsky first created it, posing the question: whose responsibility is it to preserve this cultural treasure?