On May 1, the presentation of the feature film "Taghiyev: School" took place at the Heydar Aliyev Center.
The presentation was attended by the head of the Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva, Alena Aliyeva, government officials, cultural figures and other guests.
Speaking before the screening of the film, film critic, director, Honored Artist Ayaz Salayev said that this screen work not only reflects the life of a historical figure, but also has special significance in terms of restoring national memory and spiritual values.
"If Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev could see today's Azerbaijan, he would probably have witnessed the realization of not only his dreams, but also a future that he could not even imagine. Today we live in an era when the ideas of construction, nationalism and enlightenment, which were laid during Taghiyev's era, find their most vivid expression," said Ayaz Salayev.
Then, the feature film “Taghiyev: School” was screened.
The film is the last - fourth part of the film “Taghiyev”, dedicated to the life story of the great philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.
The film, produced by the Baku Media Center, touches on important historical events that took place in Baku and the region at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.
Taghiyev’s life path is full of struggles. Each new period is a new goal and a new responsibility for him. He faces difficulties, but does not step back, takes blows, but becomes stronger. In his old age, fate prepares another test for him. He makes an important decision, saying that intelligence, education and worldview should be accessible to everyone for a bright future. This decision, made in order for the next generations to be knowledgeable and literate, ultimately changes not only his own fate, but also the fate of his nation.
The film “Taghiyev: School” presents the event of the opening of the first secular girls’ school in the Muslim East in Baku on October 7, 1901, at the initiative of a great philanthropist, as well as the difficulties and obstacles it faced at that time, in an artistic and aesthetic form.
After the screening of the film, the film’s director Zaur Gasimli, People’s Artists Parviz Mammadrzayev, Gurban Ismayilov and other members of the creative team shared their thoughts on the idea and filming process of the screenplay.
The entire creative team, led by the head of the Baku Media Center, was thanked for their contribution to the creation of the film. It was noted that the high-level preparation of the project is the result of the team’s joint work, professionalism and creative approach. The hard work of everyone involved in the filming of the film was especially emphasized and they were wished success in their future activities.
The first part of the 4-part film, "Taghiyev: Oil", which is of great importance in the promotion of Azerbaijani history and our national values, was presented in 2024, the 100th anniversary of the death of the great philanthropist. The presentation of "Taghiyev: School" also coincides with the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the girls' school, which created a revival in the field of education in Azerbaijan and played a major role in the life of our people - 2026.
Each part of the film "Taghiyev" has become a significant cultural event and has been able to gather a wide audience by being broadcast in cinemas across the country.
For information, about 200 thousand viewers watched the films "Taghiyev: Oil", "Taghiyev: Tsar" and "Taghiyev: Sona" in cinemas across the country. Due to public interest, these films are currently being screened in cinemas.
The films have had extensive presentation ceremonies both inside and outside the country. Also, the film “Taghiyev: Oil” was selected as the official candidate from our country in the “Best International Feature Film” category for the 98th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“Oscar”) awards, and the presentation of the feature film was also held in Los Angeles, the center of the US film industry - Hollywood.
In addition, the first part of the feature film participated in the world-famous “Dehancer Colourist Awards 2024” festival and won in the nomination for a full-length film with high-quality color correction.
The filming of the film has also gone down in the history of Azerbaijani cinematography due to its scale. About 2,500 creative people participated in the mass scenes in the film, which was shot in 76 different locations. More than 300 decorations were prepared for the historical scenes of the film. A special clothing workshop was created to fully reflect the historical period in which Taghiyev lived, and a large number of clothes, accessories, jewelry samples and special props were prepared.
The film's chief producer is Arzu Aliyeva, producer is Orman Aliyev, production director is Zaur Gasimli, scriptwriters are Ismayil Iman, Asif Isganderli and Zaur Gasimli, production director is Vladimir Artemyev, production designer is Sabuhi Atababayev, costume designer is Vusal Rahim, composer is Etibar Asadli and editing director is Asgar Rahimov.
A large creative team, including People's Artists Parviz Mammadrzayev, Gurban Ismayilov, Mammad Safa, Mehriban Zaki, Honored Artists Rasim Jafar, Elshan Rustamov, Natavan Hajiyeva and actors Manaf Dadashov, Rovshan Aghayev, Rustam Jabrayilov, Vusal Hajigadir, Sanan Allez, Deniz Tajeddin, Farida Gurbanova, Rovshan Mammadli, Namig Aghayev, Kamran Yunis, Nofal Shahlaroglu, Ismayil Karimov, Nurlan Murselzadeh, Yusif Gasimli, as well as professional actors invited from Russia and Belarus, played historical characters in the film.
The film was produced by Baku Media Center with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Azerbaijan Cinema Agency, and with the sponsorship of Neqsol Holding, Kapital Bank, Bakcell and Norm companies.
It should be noted that keeping the history of Azerbaijan alive and conveying the truth as it is has been of great importance to Baku Media Center since the very day of its establishment. During this period, the Center has produced films that have aroused wide public interest, such as “Target Baku”, “Heritage”, “Last Meeting”, “Eternal Mission”, “We”, “Steps in Silence” and “Shusha, You Are Free!”, reflecting the most diverse historical periods of our country. By producing the film “Taghiyev”, dedicated to the life story of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, the Center has made its next valuable contribution to the historical film industry of Azerbaijan.
