Official Synopsis
The Path (Чыйыр) is an ethnographic documentary centering on Kulmat, a manaschy (traditional epic storyteller) in Kyrgyzstan who received the oral performance gift through a visionary dream in his youth. Directed by Aibek Baiymbetov, the 40-minute film examines the living oral tradition of the Manas epic, sacred memory, and the role of spiritual calling in preserving intangible cultural heritage across generations.
Biography
Filmmaker(s): Aibek Baiymbetov
Aibek Baiymbetov is a Kyrgyz filmmaker, ethnomusicologist, and researcher. Formerly with the Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit at the University of Central Asia and a graduate fellow in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, his documentary work focuses on oral traditions, epic performance, and ecological knowledge in Central Asia.
