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Paper abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to analyze Soviet films, ranging from the 1920s-1990s, to show the shifting ideologies and culturally expected behaviors that Central Asian women (particularly in Turkmenistan) are adhering to. The films are Gorkak Batyr - Çaman (1982), Далёкая невеста (1948), Тихая Невестка (1967), and Невестка (1971). Key concepts and themes of the analysis include, double-burden which refers to women who hold a professional career while also being expected to fulfill house chores, simultaneously; the notion of motherhood and building a family as holding more weight than pursuing self-fulfillment; and the imbalance of gender power dynamics in a domestic space. This research also analyzes how political agendas during the Soviet Era had an influence on the film industry, while at the same time indirectly impacting/reinforcing the expected gender roles of Turkmen women. Based on my findings, Central Asian women in the 21st century continue to face certain barriers that might not be as heightened in European countries, considering the cultural expectations of double-burden, which makes progression towards equitable gender roles seem like an unachievable prospect. Since films are integral in influencing Central Asian culture and the gendered roles that women are seen portraying, in order to spur change, strong reframing of alternate narratives is necessary.