Azerbaijani Film Festival wraps up in Italy

Baku, June 26, AZERTAC

The Azerbaijani Film Festival has wrapped up in Italy.

The event was co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Ministry of Couture and Tourism, Azerbaijan`s Embassy in Italy, Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), Italy-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, “AGI” News Agency, “Azerbaijannews” news portal, “Casa del Cinema”.

The documentary “Eternal Mission” was screened as part of the Festival, which was produced with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Head of the project and the film’s chief producer is Arzu Aliyeva.

The film is about the difficult fate of the delegation - headed by Chairman of the Parliament Alimardan Topchubashov - sent by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on a mission to the Paris Peace Conference, January 1919.

Film’s chief advisor is well-known diplomat Ramiz Abutalybov.

For the production of the film, the creative team has spent one and a half year carrying out researches in archives of the cities of Baku, Tbilisi, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Paris. Video and photo shootings were done in these cities and meetings and talks with scholars doing research works in France in connection with these immigrants were filmed.

"Under one Sun" documentary film that was shot by Baku Media Center in partnership with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been presented as part of the last day of the Azerbaijani Film Festival.

Project manager, producer of the film is Arzu Aliyeva.

Shot as part of series of events under the Year of Multiculturalism, the documentary provides an insight into life, culture, traditions of ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan.

The film was shot in a number of districts of Azerbaijan, including 54 villages and settlements. The film crew interviewed 134 representatives of 17 ethnic groups. The crew also took photographs of 3850 must-see places and 2625 representatives of different ethnic groups.

The film was presented in Cannes during the days of Azerbaijani culture.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Azerbaijan`s Ambassador to Italy Mammad Ahmadzade stressed the importance of culture in Azerbaijani-Italian cooperation.

The event also saw speech by President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva.

The festival aims to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries, as well as to promote Azerbaijan`s rich cinema culture in Italy, to popularize Azerbaijan`s history, ancient heritage, realities among the Italian society.