b. 1981, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Working at the intersection of documentary, experimental cinema and visual arts, Saodat Ismailova’s powerful works reinterpret Central Asian history, ecology and the female experience, critically examining Orientalist and Soviet narratives through a decolonial and feminist lens. Educated in Tashkent and later at Fabrica and Le Fresnoy, she is now widely recognised internationally, notably as a major figure at the 2022 Venice Biennale and documenta fifteen. Her style draws from Uzbek poetic cinema, blending expressive aesthetics with rich symbolism. In Qonaqtar, her single-channel film Her Right exemplifies these traits. It explores the Soviet Hujum campaign, initiated in 1924. Hujum, meaning ‘assault’, was the Communist Party’s forceful effort to emancipate Uzbek women through removing their veils. Repurposing classic Uzbek cinema footage, Ismailova’s film examines the campaign’s complex impact, emphasising emotional experiences and offering a nuanced perspective on women caught between tradition, promises of emancipation, the dramatic challenges and threats they faced, as well as state propaganda.