The Azerbaijani film “Pomegranate Orchard” will be presented in Los Angeles at the Asian Film Festival, which will be held from October 25 to November 2. Filming began in October last year. Recently, it became known that the film was included in the list of Oscar contenders in the nomination of the Best Foreign Language Film.

“There are times when a film comes from the title only. But sometimes you write a script, and think about a title only in the end. It was different here. The film seemed to have been born along with the title. The Pomegranate Orchard in a global sense is a world in which people’s emotions, their relationships, love, laughter, tears are reflected,” director of Pomegranate Orchard Ilgar Najaf said.

The picture “Pomegranate Orchard” has already been screened at international film festivals in the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan.

“Premiere of the film in Europe was held at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Then, the film was awarded in two nominations at the Eurasia Film Festival held in Astana. The picture got the prize in the nomination of the best actor and was awarded a special diploma of the jury. In the coming months, the film will take part in various film festivals in almost 15 countries,” Ilgar Najaf said.

As the title implies, one of the sources of inspiration for the authors of the script was Chekhov’s play The Cherry Orchard. The Pomegranate Orchard is also a family drama. After 12 years of absence, the protagonist comes home, where his family lives. His son has already grown up and is not ready to immediately accept his father for a loved one. During his absence, much has changed, both in the life of the protagonist, and in the life of his family.

“We must always keep the viewer interested. They should be interested in what awaits the hero who returned after a 12-year absence. This interest should lead the viewer to a cinema, make him or her find this film and watch it,” Ilgar Najaf said.

Over the past years, many Azerbaijani films have been recognized within the country and abroad and participated in world film festivals. For example, the film “Plot” by Ilgar Safat was nominated in 2011 for the 83rd Oscar in the category of the best foreign language picture, while featured actor Timur Odushev became the award winner of the 32nd Young Talents of Hollywood prize. In 2013, Rufat Hasanov’s “Chameleon”, co-authored by Elvin Adigozal, was presented at the international film festival in LokArno. In 2016, the “Inner City” directed by Ilgar Safat was presented at the Tallinn International Film Festival “Dark Nights”, as well as at the Indian and Cairo Film Festivals. In April this year, the film was shown at the 50th Annual WorldFest in Houston.

Azerbaijan

Director: Ilgar Najaf

98 min. 2011, Colour,
with dialogue, Azerbaijan, English subtitled

Distributor: Asif Rustamov

E-mail: [email protected]

Producer: Ilgar Najaf & Khamis Muradov

E-mail: [email protected]

Screenplay: Ilgar Najaf

Cinematographer: Georgi Beridze

Music: Javanshir Guliyev

Editor: Gulshen Salimova

Cast:
Tofig Aliyev, Rafig Azimov

BUTA is a tale-myth about a great love. The main characters of the movie are children who are in the very beginning point of their life. The main character, boy called Buta is luckier than others because he has got a wise adviser (tutor) who sells a liquid soap. This man helps boy in every step of his way. The wise man dreams to restore an old mill, whereas Buta wishes for different thing – he wants to create a big pattern on the top of the mountain by using stones as all who flies high – birds and people in the planes – would be able to watch and admire it. But he is surrounded by envious village boys who prevent him. Buta, who has wisdom too young to have, reveals their miserable nature that gets them irritated very much. They have confrontations every now and then. A representative of the soap making company comes to the village to promote his product. After he falls in love with a local girl, called Gyoncha. Gyoncha needs to finish her work – to weave a carpet of her life and then to get married to him. Multiple of storylines crossing each other are coming to an end at the same time – the carpet is woven, the pattern is created and an old miller falls into an eternal sleep after restoring his mill finally. His soul flies high over the village watching all that is happening there.

Major screenings, presentations:
Houston World Fest (Platinum Remi), Palm Springs, Montreal Childrens, Toronto Childrens, Asia Pasific Screen Award (Best Children’s film), Cape Winlands (Grand Prix), Cairo Childrens, GOA, AleKino, Zlin, Gimli, Isfahan (Best Asian Film) etc.

He was born in March 2nd, 1975 in Ararat region of Armenian Republic (USSR).
After ethnic conflict in 1988 (when we has 13) he and his family was forcibly expelled from Armenia and became refugees.
In 1993 he entered the Azerbaijan State University of Arts, film director’s faculty.
In 2000 he shot documentary film (22 minutes) “Shacks without shades”. The film awarded the Prize of the Baku Youth Festival.
In 2001 he shot a number of television films.
In 2002 he shot the documentary film “There exists an old man”.
In 2004 he directed the short film “Musicians” which participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus.
In 2004 he established the film studio “Buta Film” where produced the number of documentary and short film as a producer as well as director.
In 2009 he directed his first short fiction film “Theatrical Life” (Silver Remi Award at Houston WFF)
“Buta” – his first feature film.

Buta Film

Source:  http://mediawavefestival.hu/index.php?modul=filmek&kod=8535&nyelv=eng