Present Film Festival is dedicated to the famous Tajik film director Bakhtiyor Khudoynazarov who passed away in April 2015, and the opening of the Festival has started with the film screening of his film “Bratan” (Bro).

This year Tajikistan will be represented by two full-length films at the festival “Mushkilkusho” (Breakthrough) of Umed Mirzoshirinov and “Monkey’s dream” of Rumi Shoazimom, and one short-length film “Situation” of Dilovar Sultonov. Also two Tajik comedy films “Modern bride-2” and “Air Safar” will be shown in the frame of the Festival.

During the opening ceremony Regina Gujan, a representative of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan remarked: “Switzerland very much appreciates what is happening “around the Festival”, in particular the possibility for filmmakers and other professionals of the film industry – young and old – to engage, share their experiences, and enrich their knowledge”.

In the framework of the project “Echo Didor” best motion films of the Festival will be shown in Khujand, Khorog, Asht, Isfara, Kulob and  Danghara districts . The overall goal of the Echo program is to facilitate exchange and dialogue amongst cinematographers and film directors, as well as to bring films closer to film lovers  all of the four corners of the country.

As a co-founder of the first event back in 2004, it has become a good tradition for Switzerland to be closely linked to the Festival and to contribute this way to set Tajikistan on the map of international film festivals.

International Film Festival

The Swiss Foreign Ministry (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs//FDFA), together with Death Penalty Worldwide at Cornell Law School, launched this year a study of the factors leading states to abolish capital punishment in law. “Pathways to Abolition of the Death Penalty” examines the historical and political processes underlying abolition, including the roles played by key actors and stakeholders in the countries concerned. The publication covers 14 different jurisdictions*, spread across a range of geographical world regions and time periods, from the world’s first full legal abolition in Venezuela in 1863 to most recent abolition success stories (Fiji, Suriname, Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Benin and Maryland).

While there is no universal blueprint and every country comes to abolition in its own way and on its own timeline, the study suggests that, especially in recent years, pathways to abolition rely on a combination of factors, including (1) harnessing the momentum of the global trend towards abolition, with now over two thirds of the world’s countries having given up on using the death penalty (2) engaging political decision-makers and parliamentary allies in moving ahead towards abolition (3) restricting or suspending the death penalty, where it is still applied; (4) enhancing advocacy and explaining to the public at large the unbearable risks and failures of capital punishment.

* Benin, Burundi, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Fiji, Germany, Latvia, Madagascar, Nepal, Suriname, Venezuela - and the US State of Maryland (USA)

Switzerland is committed to a world without the death penalty 

Working globally to abolish the death penalty