Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan only turn up in the headlines when the talk is of natural gas or oil supplies, which these countries possess in abundance. Otherwise, we know very little about the everyday life of the people in these Central Asian counties, which though independent since the fall of the Soviet Union are still subject to authoritarian government. It is precisely this that the authors of the reportage wanted to change when they journeyed several thousand miles through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan by rail. On their travels they met interesting people both in the trains and in the towns that line the route and through these gain fascinating insights into the living conditions of the peoples here. The route of the journey lies predominantly along the famous Silk Road with its ancient trading centres of Almaty, Taschkent, Samarkand and Buchara. The centres
of these towns bustle with a largely modern feel but in the colourful markets, in the ancient bazaars and mosques it is hard to escape the feeling that one is travelling through time.
Taking The Train Through Kazakhstan And Uzbekistan
Foreign Cultures / Travel
- Title: Taking The Train Through Kazakhstan And Uzbekistan
- Original title: Mit dem Zug durch Kasachstan und Usbekistan
- Film by: Manfred Pütz, Klaus Schwagrzinna
- Format: 45', series
- Long running series: People - Places - Adventures
- Production: Direct-TV for WDR
- Year of production: 2006
- Language / subtitle version: German
