Water Boy

This social drama takes place in the fisherfolk village on a bank of the Tajik sea. The villagers start facing the ecological disaster recently. The village is in transition between traditionality and modernity. Barakat, the honest and respected old village man, doesn’t support the Boat Shopkeeper who smuggles in the harmful goods. He has only one confidant, Ramses, a small village boy with a made-up name. The filmmakers on a visit to shoot a film in the village cast Safar, Ramses’s father, as a lead. While Salima, Ramses’s mother, struggles to convince Safar and her son to relocate to a city. The finale of the story unveils the protagonists' fate amidst all ups and downs.

Directed by Fayzullo Fayz, Water Boy leans on a strong ensemble — Ubaydullo Omon, Mehrojiddini Safar, Ahmadjoni Qutbiddinzoda — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2021.