I AM JAMILA

'A good marriage starts with tears,' says a famous Kyrgyz proverb. Although I am originally from Kyrgyzstan, I began to understand the deep meaning behind this famous Kyrgyz proverb and the depth of the wounded souls they often leave when I met Jamilia in a small village in Kyrgyzstan. She is named after the main character from the worldwide known novel "Jamilia" by Chingiz Aitmatov. It is a story of two young lovers who leave their village and break a strong tradition to live together - a story which tells with melancholy and full of tenderness the power of love that overrides everything. 
I grew up with the awareness of "Ala Kachuu," which, if translated literally, means "grab and run." It is a common custom of bride kidnapping. Some best friends of my own mother's were  kidnapped to get married already during Soviet time. She remembers clearly how her friends suffered after this fate.  

FULL PROJECT