The founder of Uzbek cinema is Khudaibergen Devanov, born in Khorezm in 1879. Few people know, however, that Devanov's first teacher was a German film enthusiast, Wilhelm Penner, an elder of the German community near Khiva, who introduced him to photography and camera work. Among other things, Penner, who was also engaged in photography, introduced the energetic and curious Khoresmian to this craft. H. Devanov managed to become the first photographer and then the cameraman of Khiva Khanate. Thanks to his work, residents of other countries got acquainted with the ancient original culture of Khorezm for the first time. 1908 was the birth year of Uzbek cinema.
