Torysh Valley

Four kilometres north of the Torysh Valley is an old film set, just off the unnamed road leading to the northern Buzachi Peninsula. It was here that Tajik director Bakhtyar Khudojnazaro shot Waiting for the Sea in the early 2010s, together with an international crew from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe.

The full-length drama centres around Marat, a skipper recently released from prison on manslaughter charges after the deaths of his wife and crew in a storm on the Aral Sea. The film crew used the fictional Port Abasta as the setting, drawing inspiration from Moynaq fish port in Karakalpakstan. On returning to the port, Marat discovers the sea has disappeared and all that remains are vast swathes of sandy desert, the old pier, and the rusted hulls of ships. Tortured by guilt and sadness, he drags his ship across the desert searching for the lost sea, on a one-way journey marked by hardship and self-discovery.

Dotted around the former film set are rustic-looking wooden fishing boats and a few rundown buildings stood in the middle of a desolate stoney desert, so it’s a worthwhile detour if you’re in the area and looking for a quirky photo opportunity.