Buzkashi!
(Canada, 82 min.)
Written and directed by Najeeb Mirza
Featuring: Azam Kholov, Khurshed Mashrabov, Askar-ali
Dustiev.
Tossing around the ole pigskin is a traditional pastime for
American men. On the other side of the globe, however, where traditions have a
bit more longevity, tossing around the ole dead goat provides a rousing sport
for the males of Central Asia. Buzkashi is a rough sport, reserved only for the
most fearless of players. It’s a bit like polo, except that the aim of the game
is to nab the carcass of a goat, manoeuvre through a field of two-hundred-odd
players, and drop said goat past the goal line. Buzkashi might sound like the
weirdest sport this side of golf, but it evolved out of a process of herding
goats away from deadly wolves. The goats and the wolf have since traded places,
with the goat tossed around by a pack of men competing to stand out in a
skirmish of strength and bravery.
Buzkashi, the new
film by Najeeb Mirza, explores this ancient sport that has remained relatively
contained in Central Asia until ripples from the war in Afghanistan brought it
to California. Mirza, who hails from Aylmer (that’s on the Quebec side of the
613, for any non-Ottawa readers), observes three buzkashi champions in
Tajikistan and offers a handsomely shot pic that uses the game to draw out a
way of life. The backgrounds of the three players—named Azam, Khurshed, and Askar—vary
greatly, with two of the players earning a modest living as farmers and one,
Khurshed, prospering greatly thanks to wealthy land ownership and market
trades. (He trades on a variety of markets, the players imply.)
Although the three men take different roads to the buzkashi
field, Buzkashi charts the sport as a
sort of continuity in a landlocked nation that has undergone considerable
change in recent years. The sport seems like a common link between the men as
they hold onto tradition each time the grab the limp legs of the goat and carry
it to victory. The game lives on even though Tajikistan undergoes considerable
cultural and political shifts, which Mirza notes by providing some backstory on
the players and on the country’s civil war. He also follows some of the players’
peers and family members to show currents of change in Tajikistan, such as one
storyline with Azam’s son, who dreams of becoming a doctor thanks to his
interest in the new science programs introduced in the school.
Change also rolls through the sport of buzkashi itself, as
some of the players switch sides on how to play the game. Buzkashi is
traditionally a sport in which the individual rises above the melee of the
crowd and uses his strength to provide riches and rewards for his family. Some
players like Khurshed, however, see the advantage of turning buzkashi into a
team sport, thus working together with the strength of numbers even though one
player ultimately carries the goat over the goal line alone. The corruption of
the buzkashi echoes the sentiments that some of the players express on the
changes in society more broadly.
Buzkashi never comes off as a barbaric sport even though it
involves tenderizing a little goat for a goal. Mirza carefully selects footage
that explains the game to viewers well enough; moreover, the views expressed by
the players note the cultural importance of buzkashi: the community, the
tradition, and the culture. The preparations for the game also show that the
goat is killed before it’s thrown onto the field, and that a goat is not used
in practices, but is instead substituted with a bag of similar weight. Buzkashi, however, acknowledges that the
practices of the sport and the culture may seem alien to western audiences,
which is highlighted especially well in one of Khurshed’s interviews in which
he chuckles that the folks at Greenpeace will put an end to goat goals if the
sport ever catches on in the west.
Buzkashi
ultimately embraces the roughness of the sport and portrays the game in some
stunningly shot sequences that capture both the chaos and the excitement
inspired by the sport. The goat-tossing is set against the visually striking
backdrop of the snowy Tajikistani landscape, as well as some traditional music
that strikes a few notes of Atom Egoyan flair into this Canadian production. Buzkashi might not inspire too many new
players to the sport, but it’s sure to intrigue many viewers with a glimpse
into a world they’ve never seen before.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Buzkashi screens in Ottawa tonight at The ByTowne at 9:20.