Muhammed Cherkezov

18th-century Turkmenistan. By the will of the rulers of the Khanate of Khiva, the once-blooming land was turned into a desert. In order to unite the scattered nomadic tribes and make his people independent, the elder of one of the tribes, Khodjanepes, secretly travels to St. Petersburg to seek help from Peter I. The tsar, who was interested in strengthening the southern borders, sent Prince Cherkassky's expeditionary force to Turkmenistan, but he made a grave mistake. After listening to the Khiva Khan, who had heard about Khodjanepes's visit to the Russian capital, the tsar divided the expedition into two groups, giving Khodjanepes an excellent opportunity to deal with his soldiers.

The film consists of three short stories: "The Runaway Car," "Apollo's Skeleton," and "Night Show."

When the storm started, the fishing boats were far out at sea. It would seem to be a common thing, but one fisherman did not return to the shore. Who is to blame for his death? The investigator who arrived is investigating this incident.

The poor peasant Artyk cannot achieve his goal: to marry his beloved, the beautiful Aina. Rich Bally has wanted her for a long time. And although Aina likes Artyk, Bally calmly waits for his hour, he knows that his opponent has nothing to pay for. But the lovers decide to escape. Bally rushes after them and drives Aina home. In order to free the girl and take revenge on Bally, Artyk and a friend join Eziz Khan, who opposes the white king. Thus begins the combat path of the poor, not yet knowing their real enemies.

1920. Western countries are trying to use the Bukhara khanate — a former protectorate of tsarist Russia — to fight the Soviet regime. Arrived in Tashkent by M. V. Frunze and V. V. Kuibyshev to organize the masses to fight counter-revolutionaries and agents of foreign intelligence services.

Due to life circumstances, the young protagonists decide to leave their childhood homes, the places they’ve always loved, abandon their familiar way of life, and move to the capital to live and study in a large, unfamiliar city. The brothers find it difficult to adapt in the big, unfriendly city, which makes their life much less simple and familiar than it was at home. The young people seriously question the wisdom of their decision: to dramatically change their lives and completely alter everything that gave their life meaning, or to leave everything unchanged.

Story of Jamal, a Turkmen woman who is left to tend to the farm when her husband goes off to fight in WW2.

The 1950s. The construction of the Karakum Canal is underway in Turkmenistan. The fate of this large construction site is closely linked to the fate of many of the film's characters: correspondent Koryshev, who reveals the lies of his colleague Zurabov's ostentatious, slanderous articles; talented young engineer Karabash, whose advanced construction methods are supported by the construction site chief Ermasov; embittered old engineer Khorev, who, out of envy for Karabash, writes denunciations to the Central Committee of the party against him and Ermasov..

After finishing eight grades at a school in Ashgabat, Bayram Ovezov, against his mother’s wishes, decides to return to the mining town of Gaurdak, where his grandfather lives and where his father once worked. Bayram enrolls in a vocational school to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a miner.

Like all of the Turkmen director Khalmamed Kakabayev's films, this one is about children and their first discoveries of the world of emotions and nature. Seven-year-old Almaz lives in an orphanage. He is very independent and rarely asks for help from his teachers. Like all orphans, Almaz dreams of his parents suddenly appearing in his life. One day, when he meets a woman in a cemetery who is mourning her son, Almaz befriends her and helps her cope with her grief.

The film is based on K. Kuliev's novel "Magtymguly". A story about a Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet, Sufi and traveller who wrote under the pen name Pyragy (Feraghi) and is considered to be the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history. After graduating from the Khiva Madrasa, the poet Pyragy (Feraghi) Magtymguly returns to his native Turkmen aul. He teaches children, composes poems, loves a beautiful girl and is loved by her. But local bey Cherkez-khan does not like the poet's calls to unite Turkmens, and his soldiers burn the village. Khan appoints the captured Magtymguly his court poet but, having received a refusal, the tyrant orders to kill the poet. But the guard helps the poet to escape. Having returned to the burnt aul, Magtymguly begins to call on Turkmens to unite with Russia, because they could not deal with their troubles alone.