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Paper abstract:

The proposed paper introduces the most common reoccurring archetype in Uzbek modern cinema—daughter-in-law (kelin). Continuous questions of women’s role in household matters in the context of cultural relativism, the helplessness of daughters-in-law in the face of traditional systems, and nurturing girls as future bearers of the collective identity and honor gave rise to a cinematic discourse commonly referred to as what I call daughter-in-law films. Films on this topic are mainly presented in the genre of comedy or melodrama, occupying the top position in the film market with their simple and exaggerated storylines popular not only among local people but also abroad, particularly in the CIS countries. The paper examines sociocultural situations influencing the status of the daughter-in-law both in reality and films and provides an analysis of on-screen conflicts between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law as well as the position of a husband as an intermediary link that are posing numerous issues concerning gender dynamics in Uzbek families. The “ideal” patriarchal image of a woman from one of the most successful commercial films “Superbride” (2008) is put into opposition with contrasting images of treacherous daughters-in-law, who represent unconscious anxieties about the decline of national traditions and the rise of women’s independence resurfaced in the cinema.