ONE WORLD | A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan

When nineteen-year-old Zere Asylbek releases a provocative music video demanding respect for those long disadvantaged by local culture, it sparks a fierce backlash in conservative Kyrgyzstan. The film follows her journey from pop singer to outspoken civic activist in a country where bride kidnappings, domestic violence, and the social silencing of half the population remain all too real. Zere faces threats, public shaming, and accusations that she seeks to destroy “traditional values” and serve foreign interests. Yet she refuses to stay silent. This intimate documentary captures the collision of personal courage with a repressive system, showing how music can create space for social change in a fragile democracy.