The Year of the Dragon

The Year of the Dragon (1982) is a historical drama you can watch online on iFILM, set in the mid-19th century. The Uighur people rise against their Manchu-Chinese rulers, and at the heart of the revolt stand a young horseman, Akhtam, and a village beauty, Mayimkhan.

Their romance unfolds against a liberation struggle with long odds and a steep price. Co-directed by Asanali Ashimov and Guk In Tsoi, the film reaches for a chapter cinema rarely visits — popular resistance on the eastern fringe of the Qing empire. Expect open steppe, riders and a rebellion that already senses how it may end. One for viewers curious about Central Asian history beyond the textbook. Stream The Year of the Dragon online on iFILM.