“TASBAQA”

A story of resilience and adaptation. The wild Central Asian tortoise and the mighty Ustyurt Plateau.

A project highlighting the timeless connections of our natural world. A film born at the Ustyurt Nature Reserve in Mangystau, Kazakhstan.
Contents:

Watch the teaser trailer of “TASBAQA”

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Synopsis & stills

The Ustyurt Plateau, more than 200,000 km2 vast.
No permanent freshwater rivers or lakes.
Extreme heat (+50°C), extreme cold (-40°c).

And yet, life persists…

After 10 months of sleep, it is time for the “TASBAQA” of the great Ustyurt to emerge. There is much to do.

Resilience and adaptation.
A relationship between species and ecosystem more than 1 million years old.
A project highlighting the timeless connections of our natural world.

The story of the Central Asian Tortoise. 

Commentary from judges of Jackson Wild Film Festival

“This documentary really stands out with its crisp, vivid imagery and well chosen music that complements the story beautifully. The drone shots are visually striking and add an impressive layer of context. I also appreciate the strong camerawork and thoughtful composition of your takes. It’s refreshing to see a documentary highlighting tortoises. Well done!”

“I like the ponderous storytelling and cinematography that mimicked the tortoise itself. The minimalism works well for this uncomplicated story of tortoise mating on this plateau: stunning landscapes, simple soundtrack. It’s done well!”

Teaser Scene 1: The Ustyurt Wakes
Teaser Scene 2: The Tortoise Rises
Teaser Scene 3: The Day Begins
Teaser Scene 4: Midday on the Plateau
Teaser Scene 5: Afternoon on the Plateau
Teaser Scene 6: Mighty “Chink”

Premiere @ Royal Geographical Society

On July 30th, “TASBAQA” had it’s premiere at the historic Royal Geographical Society headquarters in London.

Watch Saxon introduce the film with words from Yuliya Zaugg, Director.

The event was covered in the following reportages by Kazakh TV media, 24.kz and qazaqstan.tv:

“TASBAQA” X National Geographic Kazakhstan

English version of article published with National Geographic Kazakhstan

The bold life of the wild Central Asian Tortoise

An expedition to the Ustyurt Plateau, a film studying a million-year-old relationship Author: Saxon Bosworth An English version of the article posted with National Geographic Kazakhstan, “ТЫМ БАЯУҒА – ТЫМ ҚЫСҚА УАҚЫТ”. A Russian version is also available, Смелая жизнь дикой среднеазиатской черепахи. Learn more about the project: tasbaqa.org As the tarmac road east from Zhanaozen transitions to sand, we bump and bounce on…

Keep reading

“TASBAQA” X Vlast.kz

“Saxon’s film captures how a tortoise is meant to live, a way of life that might stop soon because its ecosystem is being threatened by human activity,” Zaugg told Vlast.

In July, Bosworth presented “TASBAQA” at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Vlast interviewed Bosworth about the film and the significance of the topic.

Read Vlast.kz’s interview with Saxon in Kazakh, English, or Russian.

“TASBAQA”: A Live Dombra Album

Available to stream now!

The “TASBAQA” film soundtrack.

A collaborative live dombra album by Kazakh artists Akyltai Ali and Saparbaev Kosaman Begalyuly.

Album artwork by Dariya Zhanbulat, provided by Kazakh conservation organisation, the Tasbaqa Fund, as part of their ‘I am not a toy’ campaign.

On September 8th, the album was featured on BBC 3 programme, ‘Night Tracks’, available on BBC Sounds (from 16:38).

A film made by Saxon Bosworth. An expedition supported by the Royal Geographical Society. Made in collaboration with the Ustyurt Nature Reserve and Kazakh conservation organisation, Tasbaqa.
For screening or media requests, contact: saxon.bosworth@gmail.com
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