Buzkashi! (Mirza, 2012):Tajikistan

Reviewed by Larry Gleeson Viewed at the Metro 4 on January 28, 2013, 10:30 P.M. “Buzkashi!” a new film by Najeeb Mirza, explores the culture surround the ancient sport of buzkashi. Buzkashi grew out of the herders natural affinity for keeping their goats away from the wolves. Today, Buzkashi is a rough and tumble sport that to me looks a lot like polo but instead of using a large plastic ball to score points, these rough riders use a dead goat! The men who play buzkashi are big, burly mountain men who zealously take their sport to a level that has cultural implications. The sport has been gaining some noteriety as the war in Afghanistan was resumed. Mirza’s  footage comes from nearby Tajikistan and he uses the footage to illuminate a way of life in the region. Some of the mise-en-scene is quite breathtaking and long shots fro mountaintops are juxtaposed with valley landscapes in the mountains. The story line follows the lives and preparations of three male champions as they get ready for the onslaught of the Buzkashi season. We also see cultural shifts occurring in the life of Azram and his son who dreams of being a doctor yet spends his time perched high upon a mountain “because from there he can see things clearly.” So while Azram’s son dreams about being a doctor he sits perched high upon a mountaintop firing weapons with gunfire. The other two men are named Kurshed and Aksar. The three lives are markedly different and are a reflection of the social stratification that is taking place within their country currently. Buzkashi is also changing. The sport traditionally has been traditionally been a way for an individual man to rise above his peers to provide riches and gifts for his family.Notwithstanding, Kurshed is applying a team mentality for a mutual assistance within the confines of a team and the protective barrier other team members can provide. This too is a metaphor for the changes and perceived corruption in a changing society. Mizra does an exceptional job of assembling breathtaking views of the snowy mountaintops and really pushes in close during the Buzkashi matches providing a real feel for being in the midst of the pack and the fortitude that’s needed to rise above the pack and carry the dead goat across the goal line and onward to victory. o accentuate, Mirza slows down the film to a crawl and allows the sound of horses neighing and men breathing with great force as the Buzkhasi is being played. I found it interesting to note that Kurshed, an enormously wealthy and connected market trader is the one pushing the limits in buskashi by forming a team and demanding preeminence as the goat carrier. The other two men, Azram and Aksar, lead modest lives as traditional farmers. I feel “Buzkashi!” is a film wo0rth watching. The goat is euthanized before the match begins and practice sessions only use weighted bags to simulate what a goat would feel like as it’s picked up off the ground and championed across the goal line. The most distressing moments are during the buzkashi matches as the horses all convene upon the goat. It’s mayhem.