I contacted Cinematica at Tashkent City Mall last month to ask whether Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey would be shown in its original English audio, preferably with Uzbek or Russian subtitles.
Their response was:
“Unfortunately, The Odyssey will not be released in IMAX with the original dubbing. It will only be released in Russian.”
Tickets are now appearing, but so far the scheduled screenings are listed only in Russian. Cinematica’s website also has a separate listing for “The Odyssey (ENG),” so it is still unclear whether ordinary English screenings will eventually be added—but they have specifically said that the IMAX version will not be available in English.
Honestly, this feels unfair and completely contrary to the purpose of showing a Christopher Nolan film in IMAX.
The Odyssey was filmed entirely using IMAX film cameras and is being marketed around the world as a major cinematic event. Yet audiences in Tashkent may be able to experience the IMAX picture only with a Russian dub replacing the actors’ original performances.
Why can’t Cinematica offer even one English-language IMAX screening per day, or several original-language screenings during the opening week?
Tashkent has:
- English-speaking Uzbek moviegoers;
- international residents and tourists;
- people learning English;
- film fans who prefer actors’ real voices;
- viewers who do not speak Russian fluently.
Nobody is asking them to remove the Russian screenings. We are simply asking for some choice: original English audio with Uzbek or Russian subtitles.
It is especially frustrating because Cinematica presents itself as a premium, world-class cinema and already operates an English Movie Club. If there is enough demand for regular English screenings of other Hollywood releases, surely one of the biggest IMAX films ever made deserves at least a few English IMAX sessions.
Would anyone else in Tashkent attend an English-language IMAX screening of The Odyssey?
Please comment if you would buy a ticket. Perhaps Cinematica will reconsider if they can see that there is genuine demand.