Art

Art

Azerbaijani director's film premiered at international festival in Czech Republic

27 October 2025 17:49 (UTC +04:00)

On October 27, the world premiere of director Matlab Mukhtarov’s short documentary film "Palaces of Memory" took place, the director told APA.

He noted that the premiere was held at the prestigious Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava, Czech Republic.

According to him, "Palaces of Memory" was met with interest by audiences and film critics.

Matlab Mukhtarov noted that after the screening, he provided detailed information about the filmmaking process and also answered the audience’s questions.

The producer of the documentary, produced by the company "Rental Azerbaijan," is Emil Najafli.

"Palaces of Memory" is among the winners of the 2024 competition supporting film projects at the post-production stage, organized by the Azerbaijan Film Agency (ARKA).

In the film, the director sets out in the streets of Sumgayit, the city where he was born and raised, in search of his “first memory.” The walks lead him to the place where this memory was formed. This “first memory” is related to his father, whom he lost in infancy, and his deceased grandmother. Ultimately, the search for personal memories leads the author to the traumas experienced by Azerbaijanis in the early 1990s after the collapse of the USSR.

Note that Matlab Mukhtarov’s previous documentary, titled “12/35,” was also screened at a number of international festivals.

Recall that the festival held in Jihlava, Czech Republic, in 1997 is considered one of the most prestigious festivals in the field of documentary film worldwide.