Private Project

The Crying of Tanbur

A short drama set in the Post-Soviet-era Tajikistan (1993), when it was descending into civil war.

The 11-year boy Khafez returns home from school and receives from his neighbour a letter notifying him of his father's death. Khafez hides this letter from his mother.

His sister Sabriya, who dreams of her father, asks Khafez when will he come home, to which Khafez responds with a suggestion to make a painting and send it to him. Sabriya makes one showing soldiers painted black. Khafez makes a paper plane out of it and tells her he will send it to their father.

Meanwhile, food shortages and long lines for bread dominate the atmosphere at home. Khafez fails to bring bread one day because of the bakery being attacked by bandits. Upset with his mother and feeling the need to be the man of the house, he goes with his friend to steal bread.

But at the warehouse, the boys see guards. Khafez hides in the back of a jeep, but the guards drive it away with him still inside. The jeep crashes.

Khafez emerges and finds his sister’s painting in his pocket. He throws it into the sky, and watches it fly.

At that moment his mother, woken by a nightmare, goes to her children's room and finds Khafez missing. Worried, she sits on the bed and finds the letter under his pillow. She opens it and reads that her husband has died at the border.

  • Anisa Sabiri
    Director
    Director
  • Anisa Sabiri
    Writer
  • Joseph Proto
    Producer
  • Smita Proto
    Producer
  • Vitaly Khinenzon
    Producer
  • Alijon Sharipov
    Key Cast
    "Hafiz"
  • Tereza Zaurbekova
    Key Cast
    "Mahfirat"
  • Yasmina Jalezoghlu
    Key Cast
    "Sabriya"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Nolai tanbur
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 28, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    17,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Tajikistan
  • Country of Filming:
    Tajikistan
  • Language:
    Persian, Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Varesh Film Festival
    Varesh
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    September 12, 2019
    Iranian Premiere
    Best International Film
  • Imagine This Women's International Film Festival
    NY
    United States
    November 13, 2018
    United States Premiere
    Best Young Women Storyteller Award
  • FRESCO

    Armenia
    Armenian Premiere
    Message of 'Peace
  • Golden Tower International Film Festival
    Nazran
    Russian Federation
    Nazranian Premiere
    Special Jurie Award
  • Busan International Film Festival
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    October 16, 2018
    Asian Premiere
  • Monterrey International Film Festival
    Monterray
    Mexico
    August 21, 2021
    World Premiere
  • Roma Independent Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    European Premiere
  • Festival Tous Courts

    France
    French premiere
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival
    Zanzibar
    African Premiere
  • Carmarthen Bay Film Festival

    United Kingdom
  • Duhok International Film Festival
    Duhok
    Iraq
    Iraqi premiere
  • Izmir Short Film Festival
    Izmir
    Turkey
  • CENSURADOS FILM FESTIVAL

    Peru
    Peruvian premiere
Director Biography - Anisa Sabiri

Anisa Sabiri was born in 1991 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In 2013 she obtained a law diploma with distinction from Moscow University. For several years she worked as a tour guide in the Pamir mountains while building a profile as an award-winning author, cultural activist and photographer.
In 2016 she studied under the German filmmaker Fred Kelemen; her first student work ‘Redemption’ was selected for the Russian film festival Kinotaur.
Her short film 'The Crying of Tanbur', concerned with the aftermath of the Tajik civil war, was featured in a number of international festivals, where it won several awards.
With the support of the British Embassy in Dushanbe she founded My Vision — an experimental residency that gave young, novice filmmakers the opportunity to work with professionals in producing their first short films.
Next she began work on an award-winning feature documentary called 'Rhythms of Lost Time' about the ritual music of Tajikistan.
In 2019 she won a UK Government funded Chevening scholarship, which allowed her to undertake a 1-year MA in screenwriting at London Film School, where was awarded with a Prize for Outstanding Screenwriting Student. At London Film School she also developed her feature script 'Tightrope', which she started to work on with British producer.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am a young filmmaker from Tajikistan – a country which experienced a terrible civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union. To this day the tragic stories of the war are almost unknown to the outside world. This is, in part, due to how the narrative of the war and its legacy have been managed by the state. As a result, few artists engage with this vital period in our history. Although the country is peaceful today, many still remember that time - among them many who were children during the war. Personally, I believe it is important to bring their untold stories to the world.
"The Crying of Tanbur" is my debut film. It follows the family of a journalist who dies in the war. With this film, I wanted to make a child, their perspective, suffering and transformation, the subject. The film also deals with the world of adults, how it forms barriers for children and fails to hear their voice. Even loving parents are consumed by it. This is an issue that spans all cultures and means that war, in a sense, is inside us.
Although we didn’t receive support from the state, thanks to our crowdfunding efforts and the generous support of donors from all over the world this film became a reality.
Now we hope that participation in international film festivals will provide an important opportunity for us to talk about our country's problems in an open way. ‘’The Crying of Tanbur’’ is my voice as an artist. A voice that, through the example of our national tragedy, seeks to address universal challenges.