The presentation ceremony of the feature-length documentary film "Steps in Silence," produced by the Baku Media Center, was held at the Nizami Cinema Center, APA reports.
The event was attended by Head of the Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva, Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, government officials, and cultural figures.
Directed by Fariz Ahmadov, "Steps in Silence" depicts the process of clearing mines from the liberated territories of Garabagh and the lives of Azerbaijani female deminers carrying out this dangerous mission.
The film portrays Azerbaijani women as participants in the war declared against the hidden enemy of landmines, as caring mothers, and as delicate and well-groomed women. In their daily lives, the technical signals of special equipment, danger, determination, vulnerability, strength, and themes of life and death are conveyed to the audience in a moving way against a backdrop of silence. This is the story of a female deminer.
The film's protagonists are members of a special demining team consisting entirely of women. The camera continuously follows the lives of these women and shows that, despite being engaged in such dangerous and risky work, they leave everything behind at home and spend time with their loved ones as mothers and wives.
The film has already achieved its first successes. Its world premiere took place in the competition program of the 66th Krakow Film Festival, considered one of Europe's oldest film events. There, the film received the "Best Visual Solution" award.
The film has also been featured on "Modern Times Review," a Europe-based digital and print magazine specializing in documentary films and books, allowing international audiences to obtain detailed information about the film through this international platform.
In addition, the film received the "Special Mention of the Jury" award at the NNW International Film Festival, one of Europe's prestigious film platforms, held in Gdynia, Poland, and was also presented to the international public at the Astra Film Festival in Romania.
These achievements create new opportunities for "Steps in Silence" to continue reaching international audiences and for the important story depicted in the film to reach viewers across a wider geographical area.
During the presentation at the Nizami Cinema Center, the film was received with great interest by the audience. At the end, the film's creative team was invited onto the stage.
The film was co-produced by the Baku Media Center, Drygas Film Production, and Polish Television (TVP), with financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ARKA, and the Polish Film Institute. Its executive producer is Arzu Aliyeva, President of the Baku Media Center; co-producer is Vita Želakevičiūtė (Poland); producer is Orman Aliyev; screenwriters are Fariz Ahmadov and Ismayil Iman; director of photography is Mateusz Czuchnowski; editor is Rasim Ismayilov; and creative producers are Maciej Drygas (Poland) and Tahir Aliyev.
It should be recalled that preserving Azerbaijani history and conveying the truth as it is have been of great importance to the Baku Media Center since its establishment. Over the years, the Center has produced films reflecting various historical periods of the country, including "Target Is Baku," "Heritage," "The Last Meeting," "Eternal Mission," "We," "Shusha, You Are Free!" and "Taghiyev," which have attracted widespread public interest.
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