The Azerbaijani cinema has made tremendous progress

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Published on Wednesday, 02 August 2017 16:10

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According to the Order of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev dated December 18, 2000, “On establishing Day of Azerbaijani Cinema”, every year August 2 is celebrated as “Day of Azerbaijani Cinema” in our country.

The Azerbaijani cinema, which coincides with the history of the world cinema, first was silent and black and later in the form of color and sound. The development of the educational movement, secular theater and the press since the XIX century were the factors that helped create the cinema in Azerbaijan. Both documentary and fiction films were created in 1898-1935. Since 1898 the films “People’s trip in the city garden”, “Market street in the dawn”, “The arrival of the train to the station”, “Oil fire in Bibiheybat” and others were shot in Azerbaijan. In 1900, a world-wide cinema exhibition in Paris, “Oil fire in Bibiheybat” and “Oil Fountain in Balakhani” chronicles were demonstrated.

The “Arshin Mal Alan” film which created in 1945 and included in the golden fund of our cinema art reveals a new quality change in our cinema. Till now, “Arshin Mal Alan” film, which is among the most successful and brilliant examples of Azerbaijani national cinema, has been demonstrated in 136 countries and has been translated into 86 languages and has brought our cinema world-wide fame. In 1956, another quality change occurred in our cinema, “O olmasin, bu olsun” (not she is, but this one) film was shot which people enjoy to watch at present.

Important measures were implemented for the development of national cinema in the first period of our great leader Heydar Aliyev’s leadership. Valuable films created by Azerbaijani cinematographers in 1970-1980 played an important role in propagating national and spiritual values, stimulating national self-consciousness, forming national consciousness and upbringing the younger generation. These films have brought innovations to our cinematography from the standpoint of content and genre and brought this favorite art closer to the public. The fact that, among the Azerbaijani films, many films about the lives of different professions and artists and returning the historical memory is an indication of the subject matter of our cinema art.

In the 70s and 80s of the last century, historical films that comprise the unforgettable pages of our cinema chronicle were shot and included the golden fund of our culture, outstanding works were screened, modern-themed and noteworthy films were shot in terms of craftsmanship. 110 artistic, 500 documentary and scientific-massive, as well as 44 animated films were produced during that period. Films “In a southern city”, “Our Jabish teacher”, “Wild Kur”, “Shared bread”, “Darvish bombs Paris”, “I want seven sons”, “The last pass”, “Nasimi”, “Dada Gorgud”, “Babek”, “Nizami” and other films were shot in this period. One of the main features that distinguished our films was the deeper penetration of our people’s lives and, above all, our centuries-old history, traditions and national values. In spite of the difficulties of the Soviet empire, at the initiative of the great leader, samples of golden fund of our national cinema were made.

In the years of independence, the special attention to our national cinema is related to the name of the great leader. This important area of art facing the threat of destruction in the 90s of the last century entered a new phase of development in 1993 with the return of the national leader Heydar Aliyev to power. The Azerbaijan State Film Fund was established in 1996, and the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Cinematography” was adopted on August 19, 1998, and the legal basis of state cinematography was formed.

Today, the President of the country, Mr Ilham Aliyev, is undertaking important work for the development of national cinema. The head of state approved the “State Program on the development of Azerbaijani cinema for 2008-2018” by the Decree of 4 August 2008. The program aims to increase the production of films, as well as supplying with modern film equipments and appliances, expand film productions with foreign countries, and reconstruct movie theaters. The material and technical bases of film studios have been strengthened in our country, new films have been made, our cinema has entered the modern stage of development. Actual films produced by “Azerbaijanfilm” film studio   have presented  the Azerbaijani realities to the world cinema audience in more than 50 international film festivals and have won prestigious prizes in recent years. Our films, such as “Hail”, “Nabat”, “Desert man”, “Buta”, “Dance of the Good and the Evil” tell about the search of theme and art of the Azerbaijani cinema in the years of independence.

Art craftsmen from Nakhchivan in the development of Azerbaijani cinema Gamar Salamzadeh, Rza Tahmasib, Habib Ismayilov, Mammadhusein Tahmasib, Shamil Mahmudbayov, Ramiz Mirishli, Elkhan Gasimov and others had valuable services. Some parts and nature shootings of our unforgettable films “Nasimi”, “Dada Gorgud”, “Babek”, “The roads of torment”, “The Legend of Gumushgol”, “The Native Shores” were made in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Today, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic pays great attention to the development of cinema art. With the support of the Chairman of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, “Ganjlik” cinema in “Youth” Center was established in Nakhchivan, “Bahar” in Sharur, “Araz” in Shahbuz, Culture houses in Ordubad and Babek region were reconstructed, equipped with the modern videoprojectors and necessary technical equipments.

The functioning of the State Film Fund in the autonomous republic is an example of this care. At present, Nakhchivan State Film Fund preserves more than 4700 films. In addition to Azerbaijani films, fiction, documentary films, cartoons, short films, science-mass films produced in foreign countries, dubbed films in Azerbaijani language are also protected here. At the same time, it is possible to get acquainted with the scripts of more than 100 Azerbaijani films in the fund.

Azerbaijani cinema passed the great difficulties of the history, served people and become a favorite field of art for the public. As the national leader of the Azerbaijan people Heydar Aliyev said: “Many generations of the Azerbaijani people have been brought up with cinema art, formed and developed, got cultured under the influence of cinema. ...The services of Azerbaijani cinema are indispensable for the development of our people”. 

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