Cinema is the mirror of our dreams, illuminating the giant silver screen, from which light flows into the hearts and minds of viewers. In the city of Kazan, twenty years ago, the symbol of the (Altyn Minbar) added a human dimension to this light, which was the Kazan International Film Festival, which I have been monitoring since its inception. I have had the privilege of attending many of its editions, and I participated in one of its jury committees three years ago. It was surprising and exciting at the same time that the festival always opens with the blessing and presence of the country's Mufti, as if it were a message that Islam has a heart that is wide enough for art and beauty.

Miliausha Aituganova and jury members, 2021

In 2006, I began my travels to Tatarstan, one of the republics of the Russian Federation, and I fell in love with its capital city, Kazan, which celebrated its thousandth anniversary at the time. It is a city of history, art, and beauty, located in the middle of the Volga River Delta with the river named after it, about 800 km south of the Russian capital, Moscow. The beauty of the city was not the only reason, but its people and lovers who competed to protect their heritage, through research, writing and documentation.

The executive director of the “Altyn Minbar” film festival Miliausha Aituganova

In Tatarstan, after the Volga Bulgars embraced Islam in 922 AD, the date of the arrival of the traveler Ahmed bin Fadlan, "Kazan" began to take shape in the form of primitive wooden houses, until its birth was announced in 1005 AD, and its name appeared for the first time in written literature in 1177 AD.

The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary next month

The city would enjoy its Islam and peace for four centuries, until its gates were destroyed by the hordes of Ivan the Terrible's armies on October 2, 1552 AD. The Muslim Tatars bravely faced Ivan the Terrible's deadly army for five years of a war of attrition to retake "Kazan". This was the period during which the methods of building houses in the city changed for the first time from wood to stone, and also witnessed the construction of new protective walls. Then the architect Ivan Shariai came to Kazan with 200 of his assistants to rebuild the city with stone houses in 1555 AD.

Since its conversion to Islam, Tatarstan has been writing its language in Arabic letters, before Tsar Peter I forced the sons of the Tatars and others to use the Russian alphabet in reading and writing, in 1707 AD. 

Every street in Kazan has a story, every house in its streets has a tale, and every mosque on its outskirts stands with its minaret as a witness to an ancient and also mazing history. Today, we find in the city many of these historical places that have already been restored, and some of them have been transformed into tourist attractions. The first president of the republic, Mintimer Shaimiev, founder of its film festival, received the King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam, in recognition of his role in restoring the republic’s mosques and establishing its most famous landmark, the Kul Sharif Mosque.

In the last two decades, the Republic of Tatarstan has had a team for strategic vision between Russia and the Islamic world, and its work has paid off greatly. The slogan was, “Dialogue of Cultures through the Culture of Dialogue,” a dialogue that bore fruit cinematically throughout the festival days. The festival received special patronage from the Ministers of Culture of the Republic, starting with Ms. Zilya Valeeva, up to Ms. Irada Ayupova. I like to thank Ms. Raisa Safiulina, a member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, founder and coordinator of the Diplomatic Club “Public Diplomacy - in the Dialogue of Cultures,” who introduced me to this event about two decades ago.

Thanks to executive director of the “Altyn Minbar” film festival Miliausha Aituganova, every year, a new idea is added, a renewed project, through joint production, an international market, workshops, and seminars, and with it the festival regains its birth name (the Golden Platform), and resists all difficulties, thanks to those in charge of it, who believed in the ability of cinema to create dreams, and the ability of man to turn his dreams into reality. “Altyn Minbar” is included in the list of cinema projects supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The Kazan International Film Festival is held with the support of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the Ministry of Culture of Russia, as well as in partnership with the strategic vision group “Russia – Islamic World”.

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatrstan, Ms. Zilya Valeeva welcomes the writer for the event, 2006

Outside the Western framework, comes a festival that transcends borders, believes in values, encourages national capabilities, urges young people, women, and new generation to participate, and hosts different and accomplished voices worthy of appreciation and participation. It is the world film festival that traces its path along the Silk Road, not only connecting continents, not only engaging in dialogue with cultures, but also uniting all human values.