“Ali and Nino” film presented in U.S.

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

The premiere of the long-awaited “Ali and Nino” film, based on a novel with the same name by an Azerbaijani writer was held as part of the prestigious American Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

The film tells a love story of two young people, who have different religious faiths and nationalities, on the backdrop of World War I and the independence movement in Azerbaijan.

The shooting started in February 2015 and lasted until June, and took place in different places of Baku including historic Icherisheher (Old City) as well as in Gobustan and Khynalyg,

Most scenes were shot in accordance with the original story, and on-screen work reflects both positive and negative aspects of the relationship between the two heroes.

The stars of the 104-minute film include Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, also known from movie “Three meters above the sky,” Mandy Patinkin, Connie Nielsen, Riccardo Scamarcio, Homayoun Ershadi and others.

The premiere was attended by the chief director and screenwriter of the film, as well as Adam Bakri. Ali and Nino has attracted the attention of the world media, which highly assessed the film’s music.

The film's executive producer is Leyla Aliyeva, producer is Chris Tike, chief director is Asif Kapadia. Screenwriter of "Ali and Nino" is a British novelist, screenwriter and film director Christopher Hampton.

The film will soon be presented in Baku.

Ali and Nino, being one of the most original works of the 20th century literature is a tale of love by an Azerbaijani novelist who wrote under the pen name Kurban Said. Since its initial publication in 1937, the acclaimed novel has been translated into 33 languages worldwide with nearly 100 reprints.

The tragic story of Ali Khan Shirvanshir, the male descendant of a royal Muslim family, and Nino Kipiani, a beautiful, Christian, Georgian princess, is described in this epic love novel.

Ali and Nino live in the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan which at the beginning of the 20th century was a melting pot of different cultures. Despite differences in cultures, they have loved each other since childhood, and Ali is determined to marry Nino as soon as she leaves school.

Their love undergoes family differences, religious dissimilarities and a challenging political situation as Azerbaijan fights for independence.