‘Ali and Nino’ premieres in Los Angeles to great acclaim

The ‘Ali and Nino’ was successfully screened as the opening film of the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 24.

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia and produced by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and Kris Thykier; and with screenplay by Oscar-winning writer Christopher Hampton and starring Adam Bakri (Ali) and Maria Valverde (Nino), this feature film is based on a love story between a young Azerbaijani Muslim nobleman and Georgian Christian princess during the tumultuous years of 1914-1920.

Supported and co-presented by Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Los Angeles, the screening was attended by Oscar and Emmy-nominated film directors, producers and actors, and other members of the Hollywood film industry.

Due to the tremendous public interest in the film, the Festival organizers had to open a second auditorium for the screening of the same film during the Festival opening.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev informed the audience about the history of Azerbaijan in the 20th century, especially mentioning the fact that within one century the people of Azerbaijan achieved its independence twice, establishing in 1918 the Muslim world’s first secular democracy and granting voting rights to women before the United States and many European countries.

Highlighting the historical and moral values reflected by “Ali and Nino,” the Consul General noted that this film is not just about the beautiful love story of two young people, it is also about the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for independence, as well as about the country’s long-standing traditions of interfaith tolerance and multiculturalism.

Aghayev stressed that the implementation of this amazing film project has been made possible thanks to the comprehensive support by Azerbaijan’s First Lady and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, and Foundation’s Vice President Leyla Aliyeva.

Then the film was screened. From the very first moments, the film made much impression upon the audience and was received with standing ovations.

Ali and Nino are upper-class teenagers living in Baku, the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan, which at the beginning of the 20th century was a melting pot of different cultures.

Despite differences in cultures, they have loved each other since childhood. He is an Azerbaijani Muslim, and she is a Georgian Christianbut despite their cultural differences, they love each other and get married despite the disapproval of their parents. Then the Great War breaks out, and things take a turn for the worse.

The shooting took place in Baku, including the streets of the historic Icherisheher (Old City) and in different places of the capital, as well as in Gobustan and Khynalyg.

The film's cast is international, with Maria Valverde and Adam Bakri in the main roles. Other film stars are Halit Ergendzh Mendy Petinkin, Connie Nielson, Riccardo Skamarchio, Humayon Ershardi, Fakhraddin Manafov, Assaad Buab, Numan Acar and other famous actors.