Description:

A simple blacksmith rebels against the cruel king Zahhok. Adapted from the Persian epic poem "Sharnameh" by Ferdowsi (written in 977-1010).

Tajiks trace their heritage and language from old Persia, and the "Sharnameh" is as much a part of their literary and cultural heritage as it is in Iran. The names of the main characters here use the Tajik pronunciation (Kova and Zahhok instead of Kaveh and Zahhak). There was also a 1940/1941 Tajik-language opera of the same name, which may have had some influence on this short animated film.

Many of the details of the original story are left out, and the story has been pared down to what the director viewed as its essential elements. Although the ancient text is used as the backdrop, there seems to be a contemporary subtext as well, shaped by the political landscape of the late 1980s.

For those who wish to read the original text (a masterpiece of world literature), the story covered in the film appears on p. 150-170 in the 1920s English translation by the Warner brothers (a summary can be read here). The Russian translation partly used in the film can be read here (translated by S. Lipkin & V. Derzhavin).

Scanned as part of the RuTracker 35mm film scanning project. Until then, this film seems to have been unknown and did not appear in film databases (it still has no animator.ru page to this day). It is possible, even likely, that a Tajik-language version of the film was also made at the same time, but it does not seem to be presently available.