Pomegranate Orchard | Ilgar Najaf

The downbeat Azeri drama “Pomegranate Orchard” from Armenian-born director Ilgar Najaf is a deliberately paced tale with a visually mannered style that keeps viewers at arm’s length and distances them from the full impact of the tragic proceedings. Set in rural Azerbaijan, it revolves around the return of a prodigal son with ulterior motives whose reappearance in the bosom of his family after a 12-year absence significantly changes their way of life. Further festival travel is possible, but programmers will likely find it less charming and engaging than Najaf’s previous feature, “Buta” (2012).

Aging Shamil (Gurban Ismayilov) is becoming too infirm to maintain the family pomegranate orchard, which has long been his pride and joy and whose saplings are highly valued by other growers. There are many who would like to buy him out, but the old man refuses all offers.

Production: (Azerbaijan) An AzerbaijanFilm, Buta Film production, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Republic of Azerbaijan. (International sales: Buta Film, Baku). Producers: Mushfug Hatamov, Ilgar Najaf. Executive producer: Akif Aliyev.

Crew: Director: Ilgar Najaf. Screenplay: Asif Rustamov, Ilgar Najaf, Roelof Yan Minneboo. Camera (color, HD): Ayhan Salar. Editor: Elmir Hasanov. Music: Firuddin Allahverdi.

With: Gurban Ismayilov, Ilahe Hasanova, Semimi Farhad, Hesen Aghayev.

international title:	Pomegranate Orchard
original title:	Nar baği
country:	Azerbaijan
year:	2017
genre:	fiction
directed by:	Ilgar Najaf
film run:	90′
screenplay:	Asif Rustamov, Ilgar Najaf, Roelof Yan
cast:	Ilahe Hasanova, Semimi Farhad, Gurban Ismayilov, Hesen Aghayev
cinematography by:	Ayhan Salar
film editing:	Elmir Hasanov
music:	Firuddin Allahverdi
producer:	Mushfug Hatamov, Ilgar Najaf
production:	Azerbaijanfilm (AZ), Buta Film (AZ)

AWARDS

2017

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic) – Nominee East of the West – World premiere
Eurasia International Film Festival (Kazakhstan) – Main Competition; Best Actor, Winner Special Jury Diploma
Film by the Sea Film festival (Netherland) – Main Competition, Nominee Film and Literature Award
Heartland Film Festival (USA) – Foreign Language Best Picture Contender
Asian World Film Fest (USA) – Main Competition
Inverness IFF (Scotland) – Cinema of the World
Minsk International Film Festival Listapad (Belorus) – Main Competition; Best Screenwriter, Best Actor Diploma
Arras Film Festival (France) – Visions de l’Es
Cottbus Film Festival (Germany) – Main Competition
Malatya International Film Festival (Turkey) – Main Competition; Winner Best Film-Crystal apricot
International film festival of India (Goa, India) – World cinema
Cairo International Film Festival (Egypt) – Main Competition
Antakya International Film Festival (Turkey) – Main Competition; Best Actress
Tallinn black nights (Estonia) – Official program
International Film Festival of Kerala (India) – Main Competition
Tbilisi IFF (Georgia)- European Forum

2018

Bozar Bridges. East of West Film Festival (Belgue) – Official program
Sofia Menar (Bulgaria) – Main competition
Bengaluru IFF (India) – NETPAC collection
Goteborg IFF (Sweden) – Five Continents
IFF of Thrissur (India) – Global Cinema
Let’s see (Austria) – Discoveries
Fajr IFF (Iran) – Eastern vista
Moscow IFF (Russia) – Spectrum
Habitat IFF (India) – NETPAC award winners program
Tiburon IFF (USA) – Main competition
SEEFest (USA) – Main competition – Best Feature Film – Grand Jury Prize
Imaginindia (Spain) – Main program
Hanoi IFF (Vietnam) – Panorama
Shanghai IFF(China) – Panorama
European Film Festival Palic (Slovenia) – Black Sea Region in Focus
Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema – out of competition
Lublin International Film Festival (Poland) – Grand Prize for the Best Feature Film
Didor International Film Festival (Tajikistan) –Grand Prize for the Best Feature Film