NEWS

Fikrat Amirov's ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" has been successfully staged in Russia.

The first and only production of the ballet "A Thousand and One Nights" in Saratov dates back to 1987. 

It was the first ballet production specifically for the New Stage of the Saratov Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

Fikrat Amirov's ballet is rightfully considered a modern classic of the Russian ballet theater. Staged in 1979 for the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theater, it is successfully performed not only in Azerbaijan, but also abroad.

"One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. Known in English as the "Arabian Nights", the work is about Scheherazade, a Sassanid Queen, who tells a series of stories to her husband, King Shahryar in order to delay her execution.

The exciting story of Scheherazade laid the foundation of the ballet of the same name. "One Thousand and One Nights" is a ballet in two acts by Fikrat Amirov to a libretto by playwright Magsud and Rustam Ibrahimbayovs.

"One Thousand and One Nights" aroused great interest among the audience. 

China's 2021 box office revenue exceeded 20 billion yuan (US$3 billion) as of Sunday, almost equal to the total ticket sales for the whole of 2020, Xinhua reports.

Comedian and actress Jia Ling's maiden directorial project "Hi, Mom" and Wanda Pictures' comedy "Detective Chinatown 3" led the box office chart for the period from January 1 to April 18, respectively contributing 27 percent and nearly 23 percent of the total, according to box office tracker Maoyan.

Both films hit Chinese theaters on February 12 during the Spring Festival holiday.

With its cumulative box office revenue topping 5.4 billion yuan, "Hi, Mom" has overtaken the 2017 American fantasy "Wonder Woman" by Patty Jenkins to become the world's top-grossing film ever by a solo female director, data from film data platforms showed.

"Hi, Mom" stars Jia as a devoted daughter who, deeply saddened by her mother's accidental death, finds herself transported back to 1981, where she meets her mother and attempts to improve her fate using ideas from the future.

The tear-jerker is the second highest-grossing film ever at China's box office, outshone only by the 2017 Chinese action-adventure production "Wolf Warrior 2" that raked in a total of 5.69 billion yuan.

Nine of the top ten earners this year at China's box office are domestic productions.

The only foreign film, US movie "Godzilla vs Kong," currently ranks fourth on the yearly chart, with a total revenue of 1.15 billion yuan.

The new chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse beat out "Tenet," the sci-fi action film by Christopher Nolan, to become the top-grossing foreign film at China's box office since 2020.

The Culture Ministry has announced film pitching sessions as part of the project "Great Return". 

The main goal of the project is to produce films about the Great Victory in the Azerbaijan's Patriotic War.

The competition "Great Return" aims at supporting talented filmmakers. The contest also focuses on promoting the activities of state studios and independent production centers.

The theme of the competition is the heroic struggle of National Army for the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. 

The competition is held in three categories: short feature film (timing - up to 30 minutes), short documentary film (timing - up to 30 minutes), short animated film (timing - up to 10 minutes).

The contest consists of several stages: application acceptance, artistic selection, pitching, financing of the winning film projects, production of the films.

The jury has selected 26 projects, which received the right to participate in the next stage - pitching session. Among the accepted projects, one is presented by the TV channel, six - by state studios, and 19 - by independent production centers.

The pitching sessions will take place in April. The process will be broadcast online on the page of the State Film Fund of Azerbaijan in the social network.

The winners will be announced on April 30, 2021. These films will be filmed by the companies that presented them upon the order and financial support of the Ministry of Culture.

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 Azerbaijan State Art Gallery has announced new art challenge “MyCity”.

To join the challenge, anyone can share on their page on the social network a photo of the artwork under the hashtag # Mənimşəhərim.

The main goal of the project is to show Azerbaijan`s most beautiful corner. The selected works will be shown on the official pages of the Azerbaijan State Picture Gallery.

Founded in 1975, Azerbaijan State Art Gallery displays more than 14,000 paintings, graphics, sculptures, decorative and applied arts and contemporary art examples. 

The main activities of the gallery include preservation and restoration of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, research on the current situation and prospects of the fine arts and decorative-applied arts and much more. 

The majority of exhibitions in Azerbaijan and abroad are mainly composed of the works stored in the gallery. 

The State Art Gallery regularly successfully holds various art projects, lectures and other events.

Young vocalists have thrilled music lovers with romances as part of "From the Treasury of Nizami" project.

The "Perfect troupe" music ensemble performed romances written to the words of Nizami Ganjavi by the young composer Saleh Nazarov.

The project is timed to the 880th anniversary of eminent genius poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi and the Year of Nizami Ganjavi in ​​Azerbaijan.

A new group of young vocalists "Perfect troupe" has been created at the initiative of the director of the Heydar Aliyev Palace Honored Artist Ramil Gasimov.

The team includes laureate of republic and international music competitions Elmira Gasanova, Islama Abdullayeva, Nigar Askarova, Rza Khosrovzade and Ekaterina Isayeva. 

All conditions have been created for the vocalists to unleash their creative potential. 

The works of Nizami Ganjavi were translated into many languages. The rare manuscript copies of his works are kept and preserved like precious pearls in famous libraries, museums and literary foundations in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku, Tashkent, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris and others.

In Khamsa (Quintet), the poet revealed the living pages of history. The attack of the Russians on Barda city, a fairy tale of the Russian Princess, the beautiful Shirin amazons, battles, described in various poems of Nizami - all this is historically and geographically related to medieval Azerbaijan and the Caucasus.

The description of a man's inner world, his feelings, and thoughts along with the dynamic development of the main hero's characters underlies the basic aim and content of Nizami’s literary school.

Nizami Ganjavi passed away in 1209 in his native city of Ganja. A grandiose tomb was raised over his grave.

The Russian Ethnographic Museum is pleased to announce a family project "Flying Carpet: Journey to the East" on April 25. 

An exhibition "Weaving the thread of fate into the carpet ... Decorative and applied art of Azerbaijan" will be presented as part of the project.

The exhibition opened its door in February at the initiate of Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the Russian Ethnographic Museum

Over 100 unique samples of decorative and applied art have been presented at the exhibition.

The exposition displays around 40 carpets and carpet products as well as other works of decorative and applied art by Azerbaijani artists of the 19th–20th centuries.

The family project "Flying Carpet: Journey to the East" will highlight Azerbaijani culture and traditions, as well as the symbolism of oriental ornaments and carpet making techniques. 

Moreover, the little guests of the exhibition are invited to take part in art workshop. The project participants have a chance to enjoy Azerbaijani cuisine and dance as well as to take part in a master class on carpet weaving and playing folk instruments.

Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum never ceased to amaze everyone with its beautiful architecture.

Initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, it is beautiful inside and out. The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet.

The Carpet Museum stores over 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

The museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences and various exhibitions.

In 2019, the museum received national status for its significant contribution to the popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art.

In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with beautiful pile carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

The 19th century Guba carpet Ugakh was donated to the Carpet Museum, while Karabakh carpet Chelebi enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

The Carpet Museum also focuses on cooperation with world-leading museum organizations.

Moreover, the Carpet Museum won Travelers' Choice Awards for the fourth time in a row last year.

The documentary "The Last One", produced by the Baku Media Center and "Salnamefilm" studio with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been selected for the official program of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Film director Fariz Ahmadov's documentary "The Last One" will take part in the "Short & Mid-length" section of the festival.

The film is about the last inhabitant of the Kurdili island, Vitaly Pronin. In 1981, as a result of rising water levels in the Caspian Sea, Kurdili, once a bustling island, became uninhabitable. Most of the population moved from the island. Left without gas, light, and almost uninhabited, the island became lonely, nature, animals became wild, and homes destroyed. No one lived there anymore... Except for 68-years-old Vitaly… She's breathing with an island. He takes his last breath on the island… In front of the camera.

The film is produced by Arzu Aliyeva, produced by Orman Aliyev and Nazim Huseynov, directed by Fariz Ahmadov, and written by Esmira Ayyub and Fariz Ahmadov. The cinematographer of the film is Mateusz Czuchnowski, a film expert invited from Poland.

The Rotterdam International Film Festival is one of the most important film competitions in the world. The "A" category festival is named after Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno, and other major European festivals.

The 50th edition of the festival will be held on June 2-6, 2021. The premiere of the film "The Last One" to a wide audience will take place within the framework of this festival.

Brief information about the film, trailer, and photos have already been posted on the official website of the Festival. Link: https://iffr.com/nl/2021/films/the-last-one

The fact that the world premiere of the film will take place at the Rotterdam International Film Festival is considered by film experts as one of the important events in the history of Azerbaijani cinema in recent years.

It should be noted that film director Fariz Ahmadov is currently the director of the "Azerbaijanfilm" studio named after Jafar Jabbarli. His films have participated in and won awards at many international festivals.

The Republican Children's Library will hold an online meeting with  Azerbaijani children's writer, professor Solmaz Amanova on April 16. 

The event is organized within "Be my guest" (Qonağım ol) project, aimed at promoting  new books by famous writers.

During the meeting, Solmaz Amanova will answer readers' questions and talk about her works.

Note that Solmaz Amanova is the author of over 50 books. Her book "Ilmi's Adventure" is a complete educational program to help a child learn the alphabet. Her fairy tales "The Magic Grain", "Three Brothers", "Marigolds", "Khurjun" are well known to young Azerbaijani readers.

A scientific conference on "Nizami and music" has been held at the Azerbaijan Union of Composers.

The conference was timed to the 880th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Union of Composers, People's Artist Frangiz Alizadeh stressed that Nizami's poetry has been an integral part of spirituality of Azerbaijani people for more than eight centuries. Many composers wrote operas, ballets, and romances inspired by the poet's legacy. 

Frangiz Alizadeh praised the announcement of the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi" in Azerbaijan. Now composers are working on music pieces to mark Nizami's 880th anniversary. 

People's Artist said that the Azerbaijan Union of Composers had compiled an extensive list of composers who had benefited from Nizami's work, adding that there were works that had not yet been studied by musicologists. She stressed the importance of promoting such works.

Furthermore, executive secretary of the Azerbaijan Union of Composers, Doctor of Arts, professor Jamila Hasanova and others addressed the event. 

The pieces of Afrasiyab Badalbeyli's opera "Nizami" were also performed as part of the event.

Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve has signed a protocol on friendship and cooperation with the Italy`s Matera Municipality.

As part of their visit to Azerbaijan,  Chairman of the Italian Senate’s Standing Commission for External Affairs and Emigration Vito Petrocelli, Mayor of Matera Domenico Bennardi and Chairman of Matero City Council Antonio Materdomini viewed the historical monuments of the Old City (Icherisheher). 

The sides expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and art, protection and management of cultural heritage, and discussed prospects for cooperation over the next five years.

The main purpose of signing the protocol was to expand friendly relations between the Old City and the city of Matera, to further strengthen economic, social and cultural ties, to identify areas of joint activity.

At the same time, the document covers joint activities in the fields of art, culture, tourism, science and history, organization of programs and projects, as well as mutual support for the exchange of experience and information, acceleration of cooperation in preservation, restoration and development of cultural heritage.

Speaking with journalists, director of Icherisheher Museum Center  Amina Malikova noted that this year is marked as the Year of Nizami Ganjavi in ​​Azerbaijan. So,  it is no coincidence that the protocol was signed at the ancient Shirvanshahs' Palace.

"Nizami Ganjavi's poem "Leyli and Majnun" was written by the order of Shirvanshah I Akhsita, and several centuries later the world-famous Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" was written in the West. Therefore, we are confident that we will continue to cooperate in the field of museums, she said.

With its majestic buildings and ruins, Icherisheher hides a centuries-old history.

The city, built on a high hill in the form of an amphitheatre, is exposed to the sea in the lower part, and is surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains in the upper part. With its triple row of fortress walls, the Maiden Tower and other fortification facilities, Icherisheher appeared to be an impressive stronghold.

Large squares and wide streets gradually narrowed and shrank into a geometric design fascinating Baku residents and city's guests.

Numerous unique monuments, including the Shirvanshakh Palace complex, mosques and minarets, the ruins of caravanserais and bathhouses make this place one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

Restoration and conservation works are currently carried out in the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

In general, there were several baths in Icherisheher. The baths of the Shirvanshahs Palace, Gasim bay, Haji Bani, Agha Mikail, Agha Zeynal and the underground bath are historical monuments that are protected by the state.

Not far from Gosha Gala there is also Baku Khans' Palace, dating back to the 17th-18th centuries. Until 1806, the rulers of the khanate used this complex as their residence.

Baku Khans' Palace includes residential buildings, a khan’s garden, an underground bathhouse, a medieval well, the ruins of a pottery workshop, an irrigation system, a khan’s mosque. Restoration and conservation, as well as improvement work here began in September 2018.

The Baggal Gallery, which holds exhibition-sale of souvenirs and traditional crafts, a book house as well as a cafe also operate here.

There is also a beautiful park, which will undoubtedly become one of the most favourite places for recreation for Baku residents and the city's guests.

After reconstructions, Baku Khans' Palace will function as a museum. Here, the wide audience will learn the history of ancient Baku city, revived by modern technologies. The museum's opening ceremony is scheduled for the end of the year.

The  Old City Museum Center is a structural division of the Administration of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve.

The Centre is open to the public with the legendary Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' Palace Complex, Gala State Historical-Ethnographic Reserve Museum, Siratagli (arched -shaped) and Beyler Mosque that unites the time and the people with the feeling of love to humanity.

The Museum Center aims at promotion of Azerbaijan's rich culture and history.