NEWS

"The Steppe Man" film (Cholchu) continues to enjoy major success at international festivals. Over the past years, the feature film has taken part in 136 festivals, winning over 80 prizes and awards in various categories. 

This time, the film directed by Shamil Aliyev has been named "Best Feature Film" at several festivals, including Brandenburg International Film Festival 2021 (Germany), Brooklyn International Cinefest 2021 (USA), Fiction Film Festival 2021 (Spain) and  Roshani (Reel) International Film Festival 2021 (India).

Earlier, the feature film was screened at the Nekrasov Central Universal Scientific Library as part of "Evening" media project.

"The Steppe Man" tells a story of a young steppe man who lives in remoteness from the city, closely tied to nature. His father teaches him the subtleties of life in the steppe.

Soon after his father's death, the young man meets a girl from a city. Their meeting becomes a new page in his life, a step to a big life unfamiliar to him before.

The film was produced in 2012 at the AzerbaijanFilm studio by the order of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

"The Steppe Man" was selected as the Azerbaijani entry for the "Best Foreign Language Film" at the 86th Academy Awards (the Oscars).

The film was named best at the Gralha International Monthly Film Awards 2020.

It won prizes in many categories such as "Best Feature Film" (Shamil Aliyev), "Best Director" (Shamil Aliyev), "Best Cinematography" (Rafig Guliyev) ,"Best Artist " (Rafig Nasirov) and "Best Costume Designer" (Aygun Aliyeva). 

The scriptwriter of the film is Vidadi Hasanov, cinematographer - Rafig Guliyev, art directors - Rafig Nasirov and Ibrahim Halil Aminov, composer - Rauf Aliyev, producers - Mushvig Hatamov and Azer Guliyev.

The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO kicked off Friday in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, to review world heritage items online for the first time, according to Xinhua.

The session, originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19, is an extended one that will last until July 31 to go over the agendas of both 2020 and 2021.

The session will review candidates for entry to the UNESCO World Heritage list, including Quanzhou, a coastal city in Fujian Province and a global maritime trade center in ancient China.

The committee will also examine the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the list.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the session, saying China is willing to work with all countries across the globe and UNESCO to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, promote dialogue and mutual learning, support the cause of world heritage protection, jointly safeguard the cultural and natural treasures of humanity, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Fuzhou, the host city, has set up a live broadcast platform on the official website of the event, offering services such as delayed live stream and playback.

The session will also see a number of activities, including the World Heritage Site Managers' Forum, World Heritage Young Professionals Forum, and other side events hosted by China.

More than 50 artists have displayed their vibrant art works as part of the exhibition "Harmony of Water and Colors 2021".

Over 100 artists applied to participate in the project co-organized by Khatai Arts Center, Azerbaijan  representation of the International Watercolor Society (IWS Azerbaijan) with the support of the Culture Ministry, Azerbaijan Artists' Union and the State Art Gallery.

In their remarks, director of the State Art Gallery Galib Gasimov, Secretary of the Azerbaijan 

Artists' Union Aghaali Ibrahimov, art critic, Honored Art WorkerAzerbaijan Ziyadkhan Aliyev, Chairman of IWS Azerbaijan Hasai Mirzoyev, director of the Khatai Arts Center Zahid Avazov stressed the importance of watercolor art in the developing creative abilities among youth. 

Watercolor is a type of fine art that combines the properties of painting and graphics. This technique originated in ancient China with the invention of paper. Classical European watercolors appeared in the 15th-16th centuries, and flourished in England at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries.

Today it is a very popular and relevant drawing technique; many eminent painters are passionate about it.

There are many well-known techniques for working with watercolors, and new effects and techniques are constantly emerging. 

Colorful works of young talentrs aroused great interest among viewers. 

Founded in 2012, the International Watercolor Society has successfully integrated more than 100 branches worldwide. 

Through its activities centered on watercolor promotion, the society aims to promote brotherhood and peace. It also focuses on helping IWS branches develop affordable strategies for promoting art and watercolor in their own countries.

In April, International Watercolor Society (IWS) announced the winners of an art contest dedicated to Azerbaijan. 

The project was co-organized by the State Art Gallery, IWS Azerbaijan and the Khatai Arts Centre with the support of the Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijani Artists' Union. 

The project is aimed at increasing the interest in graphic works and watercolor paintings. 

Graphic and watercolor painters were invited to show their patriotic artworks inspired by the bravery of the National Army. The artworks of young artists left no one indifferent.

The winners in the watercolor competition included Hafiz Karimov, Fatma Kilich and Feyzi Mammadov. Meanwhile, Elmir Mammadov, Gunel Guliyeva and Abulfaz Farajoglu showed their best in graphic art. 

All the winners were awarded cash prizes. The special awards went to Khanlar Asadullayev, Gulshan Bakhshaliyeva, Naiba Valiyeva, Zeynab Yagubova and Leyla Vazehi. The winning works are kept in the fund of the Khatai Arts Centre. 

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov has received the Ambassador-at-Large, Secretary-General of the Azerbaijan National Commission for UNESCO Elnur Sultanov.

The sides noted the successful activities of Azerbaijan's First-Vice President, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ICESCO Mehriban Aliyeva aimed at promoting the national culture and strengthening the country's position at UNESCO.

Furthermore, Elnur Sultanov presented the Conventions for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The conventions include "Yalli (Kochari, Tanzara): Traditional Group Dances of Nakhchivan", "Dada Gorgud Heritage: Epic Culture, Folk Tales and Music", "Pomegranate Holiday, Traditional Pomegranate Festival and Culture" and "Miniature Art" ,

It should be noted that the multinational nomination file "Dada Gorgud Heritage: Epic Culture, Folk Tales and Music" presented jointly by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kazakhstan and Yalli (Nomad, Tanzara), traditional group dances of Nakhchivan submitted by Azerbaijan to the UNESCO Emergency Protection List.

Decisions on the inclusion of the national nomination file in the List were made at the 13th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place from November 26 to December 1, 2018 in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Decisions on the inclusion of files in the national nomination "Pomegranate Holiday, Traditional Pomegranate Festival and Culture" and the multinational nomination "Miniature Art" jointly submitted by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and Uzbekistan took place on December 16, 2020 in Paris and were adopted within the framework of the 15th meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

At present, 15 elements of Azerbaijan's intangible cultural heritage are included in the relevant list of UNESCO.

Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers has announced the winners of National Film Award.

Honored Art Worker Rafail Gambarov will be presented the highest film award in the country.

The awarding ceremony will take place on National Cinema Day, which is celebrated on August 2.

Rafail (Rafig) Gambarov has been working in AzerbaijanFilm Studio. He started as a documentary filmmaker and made his debut in feature films in 1972.

In 1998-2007, he chaired the Azerbaijan Union of Photographers. In 1981, Rafail Gambarov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR for Rasim Ojagov's film "Interrogation".

He worked in about forty films, including "Boys of Our Street", "Dante's Jubilee", "Before a Closed Door", "Park", "The Legend of the Silver Lake", "Country Walk", "Temple of the Air", "Istanbul Story", etc.

Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art enjoying a huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award the national films.

Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons were filmed.

Shortly after the Lumiere brothers from France invented cinematography, an apparatus for making motion pictures in 1895, Russian photographer and cameraman Alexandre Michon began shooting motion pictures that depicted everyday life in Baku.

The first short, silent film of Azerbaijani cinematography "You are caught" was shown in Baku on August 2, 1898. The audience witnessed a historical event - the birth of Azerbaijani cinematography.

To honor this historical day, the national leader Heydar Aliyev signed an order on December 18, 2000, to declare August 2 as the professional holiday of cinema workers – Day of Azerbaijani Cinema.

At present, it is planned to carry out systemic reforms to develop and modernize cinema art in Azerbaijan.

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov has delivered a speech on "Youth and the Formation of Culture" as a guest of honor as part of "Special Edition Talks" held by the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF). 

Speaking about the youth's role in sustainable development of culture, Anar Karimov touched upon current trends in Azerbaijan and other countries. He pointed out that over 30 projects were implemented by the Culture Ministry to support young talents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Culture Minister spoke about the projects implemented with the support of Azerbaijan to increase the role of youth in culture at the international level and challenges facing culture in recent years.

In his speech, Anar Karimov stressed the importance of forming a new view of culture and preserving cultural values.

He also spoke about the global initiative "Baku Process", established in 2008 at the initiative of Azerbaijan, and the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, organized jointly with the world's leading international organizations, as well as panels for youth.

Anar Karimov highlighted that Azerbaijan's cultural heritage was destroyed as a result of Armenian occupation. 

The Culture Minister stressed the importance of peace in further cultural development and spoke about "Create4Peace" campaign. Anar Karimov said  that international organizations such as the UN Alliance of Civilizations and ICESCO supported the call.

At the end, Minister Anar Karimov answered the questions of the young people participating in the online meeting.

The Government of Kazakhstan approved a protocol on the financing of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The document on the approval of the "Protocol Regarding the Scale of Compulsory Contributions of the Member States to the Budget of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation" was signed by Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin.

The document states that the “Protocol Regarding the Scale of Compulsory Contributions of the Member States to the Budget of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation”, signed in Istanbul on November 28, 2020 has been approved and comes into force from the date of its signing.

According to the Protocol, the budget of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation will be formed on the basis of compulsory contributions of the member states of the organization.

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and with the support of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. The Protocol on the financing of the Foundation has already been approved by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Samui, Koh Phangan, and Tao have officially opened to vaccinated foreigners and citizens of Thailand, becoming the second province of the kingdom that started receiving travelers without quarantine.

Report informs, citing TASS, that, according to the list published by Thailand's Tourism Department, the requirements for arrival to the Surat Thani resorts are partly similar to those applied in Phuket from July 1.

The main difference from the "Phuket scheme" with direct flights is the transit, which must be carried out at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport for further departure to Samui, from where travelers can already head to the islands of Phangan and Tao.

The Kyiv National Linguistics University has hosted a meeting with the eminent national poet Salam Sarvan.

The meeting discussed the poet's work, in particular the book titled "The World Is So Shallow to Drown in It" in Ukrainian translation, published in Kyiv last year.

The meeting moderator Marina Goncharuk, the Executive Secretary of the Azerbaijan State Translation Centre (AzSTC) for Ukraine projects informed meeting participants about "An Anthology of Modern Ukrainian Poetry" published in Baku and "An Anthology of Azerbaijani Poetry" published in Kyiv.

In her speech, the head of the International Cooperation Department of the University, PhD in Philology Anastasia Pozhar said that the Ukrainians received the most accurate information about the people of Azerbaijan, their national features, culture and identity from Azerbaijani literature.

The well-known Ukrainian poet Lesya Mudrak, the winner of the World Poetry Festival, shared her feelings while translating Salam Sarvan's poems.

"Although this work is related to the realities we see around us every day, it reveals a completely different reality. In these poems, the Ukrainian reader will get acquainted with a poet who significantly expands the boundaries of traditional semantics, captures amazing shades through the eyes of a professional poet, even in the most ordinary manifestations, presenting traditional poetry from unexpected angles and perspectives," she said.

Next, Salam Sarvan replied to questions fielded from the audience about the peculiarities of the Azerbaijani literary process, his creative path, as well as aesthetic merits of his poems.

Founded in 2014, AzTC is an executive body which focuses on translation work, socio-political, scientific, technical, literary and cultural ties from the point of view of language and translation.

Its core functions include organizing and promoting Azerbaijani literature worldwide and world literature in Azerbaijan.

The Translation Center oversees the standard of translation in the republic and improves its quality.

AzSTC has recently agreed on partnership with the Writers Union of Turkey.

The Translation Center and the Writers Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and expand literary and cultural ties between the two countries.

The MoU also focuses on translation and publication of classical and modern literature, book presentations, roundtables, and online conferences.

The document was signed by AzSTC Board Chair  Afag Masud and Chairman of the Writers Union of Turkey Musa Kazım Arıcan.

Famous saxophonist Rain Sultanov has thrilled music lovers with a spectacular concert.

The concert program "Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" took place in the prestigious "Jazz At The Top" Club.

"Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" project is inspired by Azerbaijan's natural wonders.

Rain Sultanov and his music team traveled across the country for true artistic inspiration.

Majestic folded mountain ranges, green valleys, mud volcanoes impressed the musicians, who reflected all their feelings and emotions through music.

The music pieces were recorded in Norway. The exciting journey across Azerbaijan was filmed by the German film group. The film was screened at the Berlin Documentary Film Festival.

For Rain Sultanov, jazz is a way to communicate intellectually with the whole world. Not every musician can thrill the audience from the first notes, especially in jazz music.

Rain Sultanov masterfully owns this gift, his musical magic allows not only to captivate the audience,  but also to plunge each listener into  a wonderful dream, full of a wide range of emotions and feelings.

Rain Sultanov's music presents an amazing balance between harmony and emotional outburst, controlled chaos, which impresses with high technique and unexpected improvisations.

All this is clearly manifested in the project "Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" that plunges the audience into a magical atmosphere.

The project "Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" resonates with another project "Voice of Karabakh". Rain Sultanov worked hard on this project. And now the musician celebrates Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.

The album "Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" contains improvisations on a high note, in honor of the victory, as well as minor moments of mourning in memory of the heroes who fought for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Rain Sultanov is a highly acclaimed musician and composer. His contributions have been highlighted in the world jazz encyclopedia and are associated with the development of modern Azerbaijani jazz.

"Seven Sounds of Azerbaijan" has turned into a series of private concerts at Jazz At The Top, which offers the best live music.