Category: Kyrgyzstan

Zhanyrtuu (Renewal) – subtitles for a Kyrgyz film

August 30, 2022

I wrote the English subtitles for a documentary film from Kyrgyzstan, Zhanyrtuu (Renewal) by the Kyrgyz filmmaker Victoria Arkhangelskaya. The 15-minute film is about Svetlana Domashova, a lady who cares for her adult daughter, Elena, who is mentally impaired. In some very emotional interviews, Svetlana tells of her struggles in coming to terms with – and fighting to understand – Elena’s condition. The documentary introduces the Zhanyrtuu Foundation in Bishkek, which Svetlana created to make a supportive community for other disabled people in Kyrgyzstan, and their families.   … More Zhanyrtuu (Renewal) – subtitles for a Kyrgyz film

Getting drunk on my own in the former Soviet republics: Confessions of an alcohol analyst

April 2, 2020

It’s long past midnight in a rugged little town high up in the Caucasus Mountains, and I’m lying on my back in the middle of an icy street, gazing up at the stars. There is freezing air in my lungs, a mountain climb in my legs, and half a bottle of chacha in my veins. I am so happy I can’t move.

I arrived in northern Georgia from Tbilisi the night before, and booked a room in a guesthouse in Stepantsminda (also called Kazbegi), to make the trek up to Gergeti Trinity Church – one of the most beautiful places in the Caucasus.  … More Getting drunk on my own in the former Soviet republics: Confessions of an alcohol analyst