For the first time in Azerbaijan, a multi-series historical feature TV movie will be shot.
According to the Public Relations and Social Media Department of "Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting" CJSC, the series to be broadcast on AzTV will consist of two seasons, the first season is called "Atabaylar: Shamseddin Eldeniz".
The first season of the series, which will be shot in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, is planned to consist of 24 episodes.
The film-project will present the images of Shamseddin Eldeniz, Momina Khatun, Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan, Gizil Arslan, Nizami Ganjavi, Nasreddin Tusi, Architect Ajami Nakhchivani, Sultan Sanjar, Vizier Kamaulmulk and other personalities.
In the series, referring to the 12th-13th centuries, one of the most glorious periods of our history, attention will be drawn to the huge borders of the state established by the Atabays of Azerbaijan, and the image of their geniuses representing the scientific and cultural fields of that period will be created.
A working group consisting of specialists was established at the Institute of History of ANAS for the factor of relations with neighboring states, the accuracy of historical facts and the discovery of reliable sources.
The filming of the multi-series TV movie was entrusted to the new production "Shahdag film", which was formed from professional film workers operating in Turkey and our country. The creative team of "Shahdag film" visited the brotherly country several times for trainings and exchanged experience in famous productions that produce historical films such as "Bozdag Film" and "Akli Film". Taking into account the extensive experience of specialists from Turkey in this direction, a preliminary agreement was reached to work together with them in the filming of a multi-series film.
In addition, serious research is being conducted on the language style, literary environment, and socio-cultural life of the Middle Ages. The script team consulted 600,000 words of historical sources, and collected materials and wise sayings about existing poets, literary gatherings, divans.
Nizami Ganjavi's "Khamsa" is one of the main sources of the screenplay, since it is related to that period. At the same time, Mammad Said Ordubadi's novel "Sword and Pen", Isa Mughanna's "Gurun", Nariman Hasanzade's poem "Atabeylar", Yunus Oguz's novel "Shamseddin Eldeniz" cover that period.
The scenario includes Hashhashis and their conspiracies, conspiracies of Christian missionaries, battle scenes, palace intrigues, amazing love stories, religious-political conflicts and other points.
A meeting about the series was held at "Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasts" CJSC. At the meeting, the chairman of JSC Rovshan Mammadov, the project manager of the series Sarvar Bayramov, the general director of ANAS Institute of History Karim Shukurov, the co-founders of "Shahdagfilm" Doctor of Economic Sciences, professor Alibala Maharramzade and the vice-president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan Ilgar Mehdi, members of the script team Tufan Bora, Deputy Hikmet Babaoglu, well-known writer Varis Yolchuyev and others participated.
At the meeting held as part of the preparation for the filming of the screenplay, the chairman of the JSC Rovshan Mammadov said that the project will go down in history as the first historical multi-series feature television film of Azerbaijan. He emphasized that it was no coincidence that the Atabay period was referred to: "The military and political successes achieved in the geography of Azerbaijan under the leadership of Shamseddin Eldeniz in the 12th century were transferred to the screen, delivered to a wide audience in the regional context, the victory won by the modern Azerbaijani state in the Patriotic War under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander. is more relevant in the background".
Deputy Hikmet Babaoglu, who is in the script team of the film-project, also drew attention to the relevance of the topic: "It is necessary to present the history of Azerbaijan to the common Turkish audience with film aesthetics and screen dramaturgy. From this point of view, the history of the Atabay state of Azerbaijan, distinguished by its historical tradition in the geography of Azerbaijan in the XII-XIII centuries, can be considered successful for the beginning in this field.
Sarvar Bayramov, the project manager of the feature television film, said that in the next season, 24 more episodes will be presented under the title "The Sun Rising on the Turan Road": "The ideology of Azerbaijanism, modern calls for further strengthening of the concept of statehood are included in the film-project, subconscious through various slogans and hashtag transmission of messages is one of the main goals".
The co-founders of "Shahdag film" informed about the preparation process and drew attention to the existing experience in this field. It was also noted that in that period, the dominance of the Islamic religion and the secular model of the modern Azerbaijan state, multicultural, tolerant essence, and ideological policy were taken into account and close cooperation was being carried out as a partnership with the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology.
Later, the members of the script team Tufan Bora and the well-known writer Varis Yolchuyev gave a speech and gave detailed information about the work done.
