Ayollar Saltanaty

Reports from distant, unknown lands can give one a lot of pleasure. Women’s Paradise from Uzbekistan is such a report as well as a token of exotic sensitivity, like a warm and general human plea.The protagonist Olim, a writer and professor, lives separated from his wife after a love affair. What makes the business even worse is that his friend, who is suffering from a mysterious incurable disease, asks him before he dies to look after his stunningly beautiful wife. While the request confuses him, Olim sets off looking for this Zebo. The film revolves around his attempts to find her. While the film starts in a realistic and humorous mood, the tone becomes increasingly fantastic as Olim discovers a kind of ‘women’s paradise’ where Zebo, his wife and his lover all live happily together. Is it really a women’s paradise, or is it just the projection of his male fantasy?Alongside an investigation of the hidden sides of his own character, Olim’s journey is primarily a quest for the essence of femininity. When at last he returns to reality, time seems to have stood still, while it seems to the viewer that he has travelled an enormous distance.