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A showcase of music, history, and tradition, A Door to God, a film by Maruf Noyoft, depicts the rich and unique culture of Northern Tajikistan, focusing particularly on that region’s interaction with the rubob, a lute-like string instrument. Maruf’s film is an educational, preservation and passion project, a way for him to “preserve these traditions for later generations” and a way for him to preserve his identity.
Maruf has been sensitive to the importance of preserving culture for most of his life, from his attendance at the University of Arts and Culture in Tajikistan, to his role in a non-profit organization, the Tajik Dance Initiative, whose objective was to record and archive the music and arts of Tajikistan. It was through the Tajik Dance company that the film project took form.
Through the non-profit, Maruf found his way to California where he began his foray into the film industry as a production assistant and, later, a camera assistant. It was not long after that Maruf directed his first film entitled, The Dance of the Horse. This road of learning the mechanics of filmmaking were instrumental to his ability to take this next step to creating A Door to God, which was shown at the National Jubilee Arts Festival in Los Angeles, in March 2018.
The film focuses solely on the instrument, how it is made, the etymology of the word rubob itself, which translates as “door to God,” the symbolism both of the instrument and the music, and takes the audience through a history of the tradition. Maruf explains that as a film director, it is his duty to thoroughly “understand the subject of his films,” and to understand different perspectives his audiences will have. This is clearly demonstrated in the film. From his in-depth research into the subject, to the cinematography showcasing his home, as well as the artisans creating the instrument.
Maruf likens his thirst for constant renewal and knowledge to the teachings of Mawlana Hazar Imam: “For me, my profession and my faith are the same thing,” he says, and notes that as the Imam has also focused on preserving cultural heritage. “My faith is at all times inviting me to learn” he says, and the process of creating such films strengthens his faith.
The film is a breathtaking depiction of a search for knowledge, knowledge of an instrument, knowledge of a culture, and acknowledgement of the amazing individuals that are actively working to preserve history, culture, and faith in our modern age.
Viewers of the film were visibly moved by the intense concentration and devotion of the artisans to creating the rubob, illustrating the instrument’s link to their faith, while allowing them to learn of its significance in Tajik culture.
