METAPHOR IN UZBEK CINEMA OF THE INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

The article analyzes metaphor as the dominant principle of artistic thinking in Uzbek cinema during the period of independence. Special attention is paid to the evolution of metaphor from the social criticism of the 1990s to ethno-cinema and philosophical parables in the 2000s–2010s. The author positions metaphor as a mechanism for shaping national identity, a means of reflecting on historical experience, and a universal language that has earned Uzbek cinema international recognition.