The Thirty Boys (Ottuz Oghul). 2022. An ethnographic film, directed by Mukaddas Mijit. Uyghurs in Kazakhstan occupy an uneasy space, one eye towards the growing ethnic nationalism of their host country, one eye towards China’s ongoing policies of securitisation, incarceration and cultural erasure in their homeland. The Thirty Boys documents their attempts to revive traditional
Meshrep gatherings are widely viewed by Uyghurs in Kazakhstan as tools for community building and education. As Qurban Oktyabir, a long-standing meshrep member based in Almaty, explains: We meet together in order to create solidarity among our people. People get to know each other through meshrep; they learn right from wrong, they how to act
The Thirty Boys / Ottuz Oghul. 2022 A film by Mukaddas Mijit Uyghur communities in Kazakhstan occupy an uneasy space, one eye towards the growing ethnic nationalism of their host country, one eye towards China’s ongoing policies of securitisation, incarceration and cultural erasure in their homeland. This film documents the attempts made by Uyghurs in
by Rachel Harris Alongside the meshrep revival in Kazakhstan, a less well-known women’s chay revival has flourished. It has focused on the same goals of education, cultural revival, social cohesion and mobilisation, and often works in tandem with men’s initiatives at local level. Like meshrep, chay gatherings (essentially tea parties) assume complex ritual and social meanings