Kings of the Sky

Kings of the Sky

2004. USA. Directed by Deborah Stratman. Adil Hoxur, descended from a line of Dawaz tightrope artists, performs nightly with his troupe in China’s Taklamakan desert, among the Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim people seeking religious and political autonomy. Shot over four months, this experimental documentary takes shape as a travelogue, ethnographic visual poem, and advocacy video for the preservation of a traditional art form. Since Adil broke the Guinness World Record in 1997, he has become an icon in the struggle for Uyghur identity and nationhood. As Stratman put it, “Kings of the Sky is a film about seeking balance...between minority separatist yearnings and Han Chinese rule...ancient cultural traditions and modern technologies…an American filmmaker and a remote Muslim community...and...our flightless bodies and the eternal laws of gravity.” 68 min.