Outside of what we know from our school history books, there have been (and still are) many brave individuals fighting injustices faced within their communities and countries, who we have never heard of. In the 21st century, the most accessible way for us to stay informed about this is through media — whether that’s music, art, film, or social media. After spending 25 years contributing to documentaries as an editor and videographer, Leigh Iacobucci platforms activist Zere Asylbek in her debut feature-length documentary, A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan (2025), which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival last week.
The film follows Zere, a 21-year-old activist who was fed up with how women are treated in Kyrgyzstan and wanted to incite change. To reach more people, she taught herself to write songs and release music on YouTube, eventually going viral across the country. From women reaffirming their experiences and expressing a desire for change to traditionalist men and political authorities opposing gender equality by any means possible, we are introduced to the hardships Zere continually faces in advocating for gender equality.
What sets this documentary apart from others is its incorporation of Zere’s music, with splices of her music videos appearing throughout the film. Instead of being made to watch traumatic and graphic sequences of domestic violence and the kidnapping of women, songs like “Kyz” and “Jeñeke” impactfully illustrate this to us. Every lyric is intentional, as we see her discuss with her father that she wants her songs to be provocative rather than easy to understand. Her music is the connective tissue that brings her story to life, so it is important we see as much of it as we can on screen.
Iacobucci effectively conveys the growing, looming sense of danger that builds over Zere as the film goes on. In what could have been a film that focuses on the hopefulness of change, Iacobucci is aware of the current situation in Kyrgyzstan and that the reception of Zere’s musical activism, no matter how inspiring her story may be, has not been a welcome one.
The clearest moment we see this tension is during the peaceful protest that turned violent after counter-protesters began attacking the women. Iacobucci captures the clear mistreatment that the women faced by the police when they were not the ones inflicting harm. As an audience member, you feel devastatingly heartbroken, knowing that is not what they had intended, but that is what unfortunately unfolded.
The film is a politically charged call to action for the world to open its eyes to the oppressive norms of countries like Kyrgyzstan. Women like Zere risk their lives continuing to fight. Many want to silence her, but she perseveres because she is an inspiration to young Kyrgyzstani girls. I am reminded of documentaries like Zippy Kimundu’s Widow Champion (2025) and Zahraa Ghandour’s Flana (2025), where women across the globe are screaming for their voices to be heard. But when will we actually listen?
Music is political. Movies are political. As a society, we are moving into treacherous territory where institutions and organisations seek to ignore the influence of politics on all facets of media. Take the backlash to Bad Bunny’s performance at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime and the evasion of political questions from jurors at the Berlin International Film Festival as clear examples. Our world desperately needs filmmakers like Leigh Iacobucci and musicians like Zere Asylbek to continue to create art that disrupts the status quo and empowers movements.
A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan does everything a political statement needs to do: addresses the injustice, demonstrates how authorities allow this to happen, and offers an emblem of hope, regardless of how despairing the situation seems. It shines a new perspective on how activism can look, particularly for young people, and how anyone can make waves. All it takes is a little courage.
To keep fighting for a better tomorrow and spread awareness, you can support Zere and the women of Kyrgyzstan here.
Review Courtesy of Nandita Joshi
Feature Image Courtesy of Tro-Tro Productions