Baku, November 1, AZERTAC

On 30 October, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the United Kingdom, Heydar Aliyev Foundation and BP jointly organized the premiere screening of BP-sponsored documentary film “The last session” in London.

This was the second screening of the documentary outside of Azerbaijan, following the successful gala night premiere in Ankara on 23 October.

The event, which took place at Princess Anne Theatre of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), gathered a remarkable audience. Almost 200 guests attended the premiere, including government officials, members of diplomatic corps, diasporas, academicians, BP AGT community in the UK, media representatives and others.

The idea to premiere the documentary in London supports the increasing importance of UK-Azerbaijan relationships and is a perfect opportunity to tell the world about the rich cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan.

“The last session” documentary is BP’s contribution to the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The Republic existed only 23 months but changed an exploited nation to the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East and became a source of national pride for the people of Azerbaijan. The film depicts the last few days of the Republic and its tragic fall after the occupation by Red Army.

Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, BP’s vice president, communications, external affairs, strategy and region, said: “BP came to Azerbaijan more than 26 years ago, just a little after the country re-gained its independence from the Soviet Union. As the long-term and reliable partner, BP has always supported initiatives and activities to promote Azerbaijan’s historical heritage and national values. Azerbaijan’s first democratic republic is a truly national value that we in BP wanted to honour by joining the 100th anniversary celebrations and sharing the people’s pride.”

The documentary was made by Baku Media Centre with support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and sponsorship of BP Azerbaijan. The project lasted six months and involved approximately 700 people, including more than 50 professional actors, nearly 500 people engaged in the group scenes and 100 members of the film crew. The film was shot within 32 days in 25 various locations.