“Uzbek Adventure” is the name of a documentary film made by American videographer Michal Shapiro, who recently traveled to Uzbekistan for the Asrlar Sadosi (Echo of Centuries) Festival of Traditional Culture. National Geographic Music describes the film as “a spectacular video feature” and “a unique celebration of the music, cultures and peoples of Uzbekistan.”

“Central Asia is a fascinating place, partly because it is terra incognita, partly for its history, and mostly (for me) its culture,” says Michal Shapiro. “The Asrlar Sadosi Festival focuses only on the music and culture that exists within Uzbekistan and as such it is a kind of gateway; it would make a terrific jumping off place for a tour of the major historic cities of Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. Consider this, next time you feel the urge to go someplace different. Events like the Asrlar Sadosi Festival are ways to encourage and reward the artists and artisans who keep it alive.”

A brainchild of Gulnara Karimova, the Festival is held by Fund Forum under the aegis of the UNESCO Tashkent Office. It promises the full diversity of Uzbek art, cuisine, customs and oral traditions and takes place annually in a different region in Uzbekistan.

This year’s festival was held on the site of the ancient fortress, Tuproq-Qala, in Ellikqala District of Karakalpakstan. The festival program included folklore performances, a National Dress Festival, national games, a culinary competition, an applied art fair and many more. The highlights of the festival, exciting events, faces and a spectacular music gala have been wrapped into the 30-minute documentary now available on Nat Geo Music.

The Festival is annually attended by local culture and arts professionals, international guests, public figures, art experts and historians. Roughly 200,000 people have attended the festival since it was first held in 2008.

The event has drawn increasing attention from international media outlets. This year a video clip of the Asrlar Sadosi was demonstrated on France’s Euronews channel. Also, a series of documentaries have been aired on Hochu znat’ (Curious to know) program on Russia’s First Channel. The Festival was also attended by journalists affiliated with leading TV channels, magazines as well as print and online editions of China, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the USA.

National Geographic World Music is part of National Geographic Society, one of the world’s largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions. National Geographic have inspired people interested in geography, archeology and fascinating views since 1888. Its online version, NationalGeographic.com, has a monthly audience of 20 million people. It has been honored with several awards for its content, speediness and originality.

Follow the link below to watch the documentary.