The Bishkek Diaries

In the final episode of The Bishkek Diaries, we explore themes of transition in a liminal co-living community where friends come and go. Ivan curates a museum of memories, preserving belongings left behind by former housemates. As spring arrives in the streets of Bishkek, Valentin captures the changing seasons through his window, photographing a single tree in varying states of transition. Following this trajectory, he creates a series of intimate portraits, photographing his housemates in the nude, capturing their own liminality. We think of life as a spiral, as opposed to a straight line. This episode was made alongside a documentary film with the title "The Secret Life of Ghosts" also directed by Zanré Reed. The film is in postproduction.

A puzzle of meandering conversations and funny situations from the streets of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on the theme of trust.

Pitching a tent in a "Spiritual Zone" reveals something deeper about borders and the politics of place. We attend a contested soccer game between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Bishkek - with their border conflict in the background. Mansoora from Afghanistan processes the impossibility of emigrating to the USA with her beloved cat. I attempt to make a casual trip to Almaty, Kazakstan for the weekend with my South African passport.

A dystopian novel by Chingiz Aitmatov is curiously signed years into the future by his son. A mysterious giant egg becomes a metaphor for future, surprise, and fairy tales. Meanwhile, "Sarry-Chelek" evokes unknown adventures that unfold precisely because "the pass is closed."

Kyrgyz voices explore the topic of Russian colonization and how it manifests through perceptions of the Kyrgyz and Russian language in the capital.

I explore the experiences of Afghan students who have not been able to return home since the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in 2021. Will Bishkek feel like home?

Join me on a journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as we explore the surprising and symbolic meaning of seatbelts—from the backseat of a Yandex taxi in Bishkek