Daymohk, the Ancestral Land

At the end of the second Chechen war, amid the ruins of Grozny, Masha Novikova secretly filmed rehearsals of the Daymohk youth dance ensemble founded by dancer Ramzan Akhmadov. Daymohk wished to show the peaceful side of Chechen culture through performances abroad. Twenty years later, the country has changed: under Ramzan Kadyrov, rebuilt Grozny is ruled with an iron fist, and the dance troupe has become a propaganda tool. Ensemble director Akhmadov must reconcile that with his conscience – he feels responsible for his dancers and staff, but also has a family to look after. An intimate documentary about artists trying to live (or simply survive) under dictatorship. (goEast - Festival des mittel- und osteuropäischen Films)