Story of Azerbaijan cinematography...

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli, Rashid Shirinov

Astonishing pictures marvelously moving within a black box created a real mystery making many to believe in miracle. It was unbelievably exciting to see colorful pictures in motion based on a plot. It was a surprise for a witness, but the beginning of great era -- that was the beginning amazing film industry.

1898 was indeed a remarkable year in the public life of the country. Long time it was assumed that the Azerbaijani cinema stems from 1916, when the first Azerbaijani feature film ‘In the Kingdom of Oil and Millions’ was released. However, in 1996, member of the Azerbaijani Cinematographers Union, film critic Aydin Kazimzada made a sensational statement for media.

He cited some facts proving that the screening of French films ‘Animated Photo Pictures’ was held in Baku on January 8, 1898. On June 21 of the same year, movies about the life of Baku ‘Festivities at the city garden’, ‘Arrival of a train at the railway station’, ‘Sailing of ship from the port’, ‘Market street at dawn’ and other short films were shown at the circus theatre of Baku. These movies were filmed by a photographer-cameraman from Baku Alexandre Michon.

Michon demonstrated his author's program of three newsreel and a documentary film ‘The Oil Gush Fire in Bibiheybat’ on August 2, 1898, which was later included in a list of renowned films compiled on the 100th anniversary of the world cinematography marked in France.

Thus, the audience witnessed a historical event -- the birth of Azerbaijani cinematography. As a result of this historical fact by order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev dated December 18, 2000, August 2 was declared as professional holiday of cinema workers – Day of Azerbaijani Cinema.

This historical discovery proved that the Azerbaijani cinema is older than it had been previously assumed, being just three years younger than the world cinematography established in 1895 by French Lumiere brothers.

The industry gained a pace in 1916 when Pirone brothers turn the cinematography in Azerbaijan into a manufacturing industry. One of the brilliant work by the company was the pearl of national cinema -- a comedy "Arshin Mal Alan", made on Uzeyir Hajibeyov's operetta, which had a great success in Azerbaijan and abroad. The alluring milestone was male actors playing all parts in the film due to impossibility of women starring any role in the Muslim East.

With the establishment of Soviet Union movies were nationalized. Thus, all cinematography spheres were under government control. In 1922, Azerbaijan SSR decided to found the first cinema factory in the country which was the predecessor of present "Azerbaijanfilm" film studio. A year later Azerbaijan Photo-Film Department that implemented nationalization and photo-cinemas and rental offices consolidation measures was established.

State cinema factory started shooting two-part film "Maiden Tower" directed by Vladimir Ballyuzek in the next year. This film was oriented to exotic show of East to the world.

Samad Mardanov and Boris Barnet directed the first Azerbaijani sound film "On the shores of a blue sea" in 1936.

In 1945, Rza Tahmasib and Lev Leshenko remade Uzeyir Hacibeyov's musical comedy "Arshin Mal Alan". Despite the movie received harsh criticism it was honored to the highest award of that time -- the USSR State Award. After many years, the movie remains a favorite almost in every Azerbaijani family.

For the entire period of its existence the Azerbaijani cinematography has produced over 300 feature films, 1,200 documentaries and hundreds of animated films.

Azerbaijani movies are highly evaluated by not only local audience but also by foreign experts. Being the evidence of that, Azerbaijani movie ‘The 40th Door’ received the gold award in the nomination ‘The Best Foreign Film’, at the 42nd International Houston film festival in 2009.

In 2012, the Guild of Producers was established in Azerbaijan, uniting 18 companies with the aim of developing the further film production in the country.

Azerbaijani movies have been screened in many countries so far. The feature film "Nabat" by Azerbaijani film director Elchin Musaoglu, and Films like “The Steppe Man,” directed by national filmmaker Shamil Aliyev for instance, were screened in many prestigious international film festival and won a number of significant awards.