THERE IS NO STORY SADDER THAN THIS...

Love can move mountains and turn rivers back. Love does not care what god you pray. Love purifies human souls - like the love of Mahmud and Maryam. The rapturous ode to the love of an Azerbaijani khan's son and a Christian priest's daughter was screened by Turkish director Mehmet Ada Oztekin. The premiere of the film "Mahmud and Maryam", filmed on Elcin's novel, took place in the Nizami movie centre. And it can be called a landmark event in the cultural life of the country.

Incinerating love

The film tells of historical events in the 16th century. The main place of action is the Ganja Khanate. Desperate to have a baby, the wife of Ziyadkhan (Faxraddin Manafov), Qamar Banu (Malahat Abbasova), seeks the help of mysterious dark forces. After some time, a boy is born in the khan's palace, and he is named Mahmud. At the same time, little Maryam is born in the family of a simple Christian priest. The girl's mother dies in childbirth, and now her father Keshish (Mehmet Cevik) will cherish his daughter as the apple of his eye. Fate accidentally brings the young together by the creek in the nearby woods. They fall in love at first sight and are willing to tell the world about their love. Mahmud's family accepts the love of their son after much deliberation, but Maryam's father strongly opposes his daughter's feelings. He even tries to separate the lovers and takes Maryam to a distant mysterious Christian church, where "they will be happy". Mahmud and his assistant and friend Safi go on a dangerous journey for his beloved. He will find his Maryam, and the young couple will even get married, but ... Like all stories about great love, the story of Mahmud and Maryam will end tragically. Once Mahmud touches his young wife, he bursts into flames and burns in front of his beloved, who hugs him and dies with him in this fire. It is very symbolic, isn't it? The young Turkish actor Bulut Aras Iynemli, who played the title role, admitted at the premiere that he had not experienced such a strong feeling in real life. "We have a lot in common with Mahmud. He, like me, is romantic, restless and risky," the actor says. By the way, today Aras Bulut Iynemli is one of the most promising young actors in Turkey. He is already known for several roles on television, in particular, by the role of Mete Akarsu in the TV series "Precious Time" and the son of Sultan Suleyman Beyazit in the series "Magnificent Century". It took a long time and a lot of efforts to find an actress for the role of Maryam. The main character had to have a romantic appearance and expressive eyes. They found Maryam in Turkey. The young actress Yeva Dedova, originally from Kazakhstan, was invited for the role of the beloved of the khan's son.

People's Artist Faxraddin Manafov, who got the role of the ruler Ziyadkhan, admitted that "when I was as young as Mahmud, I dreamed of the role of a shah's son." "Who would have thought that years would pass and I would be able to play the protagonist's father! I'm very glad I was able to touch again one of the favourite literary scenes of my youth in this way," the actor says.

According to the film's director Mehmet Ada Oztekin, making a film based on Elcin Afandiyev's novel is a wonderful experience. After all, the film involved actors from different countries. "I admire the work of the Azerbaijani actors, and I especially want to note Faxraddin Manafov and Samil Suleymanov as the vizier," the director said.

All the king's actors

The whole filming crew led by Mehmet Ada Oztekin, writer Elchin and the producer of the project Sevda Kaygisiz arrived in Baku for the premiere of the film "Mahmud and Maryam". Actors Malahat Abbasova, Faxraddin Manafov, Samil Suleymanov, Ramiz Malikov, Aras Bulut Iynemli, Yeva Dedova, Murad Abdullayev, Mehmet Cevik, Ufuk San, Kristina Krepela and others walked on the red carpet. The preparations for the filming involved a joint Azerbaijani-Turkish team of 150 people and 25 doubles. The film was shot in about 10 weeks. During three months, the actors underwent special training to participate in battle scenes, ride a horse and practice fencing. In addition to filming on location in Azerbaijan and Turkey, some episodes of the film were shot on a large plain area of 8,000 square metres, where decorations were installed. Over 13,000 metres of brocade and fabrics were used for sewing colourful costumes for the characters of the historical drama. The music for the movie was written by Aygun Samadzada.

Azerbaijan was represented in the film project by the Salnama studio and Turkey - by the 24 kare studio. The project was supported by the culture ministries of the two countries. It must be noted that this is the first Azerbaijani-Turkish joint movie. According to the Turkish producer Sevda Kaygisiz, the film's plot is not only about the search for love. It is a search for the path to oneself and for the path to God.

The idea to make a film based on Elcin's novel "Mahmud and Maryam" was given to Sevda Kaygisiz by the Azerbaijani actress Malahat Abbasova, who has been living and working in Turkey for more than 20 years. She told her Turkish girlfriend about a novel she read in her youth. "I was sure that the Turkish public would like the novel, in which the lovers eagerly strive for each other, being separated by religious and political prejudice," Malahat Abbasova admitted. The Azerbaijani actress got the role of masterful Qamar Banu in the film.

Elcin's novel "Mahmud and Maryam", released in 1981, suddenly became popular. Young people still read it while adults read it time and time again. "If after 30 years, my work has not lost its relevance and continues to interest people of arts, this cannot but make me happy as the author. I am also pleased that the film was made in cooperation with fraternal Turkey, where the novel was published five times in various translations," the writer said.

The film was shot in Saki, Qax, Qabala, Baku, and in the Turkish cities of Safranbolu, D?zce, Bolu, Sakarya and Istanbul. The scenes featuring a trained eagle and wolf were filmed in Hungary. In the film there are magic and fancy motives, but love is the foundation of the plot. One of the most emotional moments for the audience in the movie was the dialogue between Ziyadkhan and a court musician.

"Where are you from?" the khan asks the young singer. "I am from Karabakh," the musician says. "What did you leave at home?" Ziyadkhan asked. "My mother and sister," the guy responds with sadness in his voice. "Not only. You left your soul there," the wise khan concludes. At this point, the audience explodes with applause because the Karabakh issue is so sensitive for the Azerbaijanis and now for the Turks.

The film fascinates and captivates the audience with its stunning graphics and special effects, beautiful scenes and landscapes, and breathtaking stunts. Everything is so plausible and of such high quality that at times it looks as though you were back to the past.

The film "Mahmud and Maryam" will first be shown in cinemas in Azerbaijan, Turkey and nine European countries. It will later be shown on television. In total, it is planned to distribute the film in more than 30 Arab and European countries.