The transformation of ‘divisive’ daughters-in-law in Central Asian cinema

ABSTRACT The article explores the transformation of images of daughters-in-law in Central Asian cinema of the Soviet and post-Soviet era. The images of daughters-in-law (kelin) are laden with cultural, social and political meanings that reveal various aspects of identity and gender politics and state ideology in the Central Asian states. The kelins are seen as important symbols of the continuation of patriarchal traditions, yet they also belong to societies where debates on gender roles are becoming increasingly more pronounced. The representations of the daughter-in-law in Central Asian film, thus, has become a contested site showcasing various ideological perspectives, from discourses of female re-traditionalisation to their critique and debate.