Screening Time: Saturday, May 3, 11:30 AM, Charles Theatre 5

Director: Taran Davies

Cast: Taran Davies, Nick Griffin, John Bolt

Country: U.S.
Year: 2002
Running Time: 56 minutes
Format: Beta SP

Though most of the current focus is a bit further south, the Caucasus region, which includes Georgia, Dagestan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Chechnya, also suffers a tumultuous present that stems from a turbulent history. Davies ventures to give us a glimpse into the region by presenting the story of Imam Shamil, a 19th century Chechen rebel who fought against the Russian army and became an international celebrity.

When Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theatre, taking hostages and ending with a bloody result, it echoed years of resistance by Chechens to Russian rule, all the way back to Shamil. Taran Davies travels through the various countries in the region that is an uneasy mix of Christian and Muslim countries with various levels of attachment to Russia, using people’s reaction to the mention of Shamil as a device to explore the divides that exist.

--Dan Krovich

Presented By: Taran Davies

Taran Davies directed The Land Beyond the River, which premiered on PBS in 1998. As a filmmaker, he has been particularly interested in Islamic cultures, and remote regions in conflict. His film Afghan Stories is also screening at Maryland Film Festival 2003.