Azerbaijani movie to be screened to at film festival in Czech Republic

The International Documentary Film Festival will be held in Jihlava, Czech Republic, from October 24 to November 2.

Azerbaijan will be represented by director Matlab Mukhtarov's short documentary film "Palaces of Memory."

The film will compete for first place in the festival's "Short Joy" section, which is dedicated to short documentaries. The world premiere of "Palaces of Memory" will also take place during the festival.

The documentary film was produced by Emil Najaf, under the Rental Azerbaijan production company.

"Palaces of Memory" is one of the winners of the 2024 film project support competition organized by the Azerbaijan Film Agency, aimed at supporting films in the post-production stage.

In the film, the director embarks on a search for his "first memory" in the streets of Sumgayit, the city where he was born and raised. His journey leads him to the place where this memory was formed.

This "first memory" is connected to his father, who he lost as a child, and his late grandmother. Ultimately, the search for individual memories takes the director to the traumatic experiences of Azerbaijanis in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The festival's travel expenses for producer Emil Najaf's participation have been covered by the ACU. A closed screening of the film was held at the Azerbaijan Cinematographers Union on June 25 of this year.

Matlab Mukhtarov's previous documentary "12/35" was also showcased at several international festivals.

Since its founding in 1997, the festival in Jihlava, Czech Republic, has traditionally been held at the end of October.

The Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival is considered one of the most prestigious festivals in the world for documentary films.