Series of 3X60 min. documentary films on Central Asia, produced on Dig. Beta

Samarkand, in the heart of Central Asia: land of shining blue cupolas and towering minarets, tales of astrologer princes and cruel khans, of algebra and 1001 nights, Samarkand, the splendid capital of the world ruler Timur. Samarkand stands for history and stories, for Islamic architecture and legendary riches guarded by deserts, seemingly endless grasslands and the icy mountain passes of the Pamir range. Samarkand is one of those effulgent places, that have become a myth in their own right. One associates trading caravans, horse troops, abundant bazaars - the air of the Silk Road.
Three 60 minute films approach the legendary Samarkand from the periphery of Central Asia.

Film 1: "Following the Prophet" ... approaches Samarkand from the West through the desert of Turkmenistan and deals with the islamisation and nature of Islam in Central Asia.

Film 2: "Following the Silk" ... coming from the East over the icy mountain passes of the Pamir range, the film shows how trade on the Silk Road has influenced Central Asian culture.

Film 3: "Following the Horsemen" ... beginning In the North of Central Asia along the Russian border in Siberia, the film leads through the endless steppes of Kazakhstan to Samarkand, "following the horsemen".

All films end in the heart of the region, where once the routes of the Silk Road met, the location where world ruler Timur decided to have his splendid Islamic capital built and where the peoples and cultures of the region gather together - in Samarkand.

For seventy years Central Asia was part of the Soviet Union. After its collapse, the Soviet Republics Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan became sovereign states, thus establishing a "new" region between China, Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea, albeit with an ancient tradition. This is where the Silk Road once took its route. A melting pot of many peoples and a vast land bridge between East and West, Central Asia has been the age-long link between Orient and Occident.
Today this region is experiencing a transition phase, seeking a new identity in the remnants of Soviet heritage, the new Go-West spirit and the resurgence of Islam.

Coming from the vast landscapes of sandy deserts, grasslands and high mountain ranges the films show an approach on the core lands of Central Asia with the historic oases of Khiva, Merv and Bukhara.
Repeatedly, the films will pause to submerge into the deep history, telling of the world ruler Timur, Arabic armies and the times of the Silk Road. They will then surface to tell stories of sericulture, the trade with China, the troubles of Tajikistan, the opera in Tashkent, Islamic architecture, horseback fights, the railway and everyday life in a mahalla, an Islamic neighbourhood. But most importantly, the films will introduce common people, be it tending to their cattle in the grasslands, studying Islam in an old madrasah, working as railway engineers, fashion designers, as travelling scholars of Islam or even as master builders in Samarkand. It is with portraits such as these that the series attempts to paint an image of the culture and cultural transition of Central Asia. In order to attain this goal, each film "follows" a certain topic.