General Information
Completed On: 20 Dec, 2023
Duration: 2 hr 0 min 0 sec
Genres: Scripts
Language: Azerbaijani
Country: Azerbaijan
Submitted By: Shamil Aliyev
Festival Rating 9.0
MAIDEN TOWER, THE
(Synopsis)
There are two brothers who live in Ichari-Shahar (Old City). They are: Camil and Rafael. Camil is a sculptor, and his younger brother Rafael is a painter returning from Riga after 5 years’ education. Regardless of his elder brother’s order, Rafael has fallen in love with a girl named Maria as far back as in Riga.
Camil is also considered to be the chairman of the Community on the defense of Ichari Shahar. The problems concerning the preservation of old cities, as well as love to Rafael lead Maria to Baku. The purpose of her arrival is to familiarize with the state of affairs on the protection of city-reserve Ichari Shahar on the spot and to make a report for UNESCO.
The arrival of the representative of UNESCO in the person of Maria obliges the Oligarch who has flooded Ichari Shahar with vanguard constructions to the prejudice of architecture of Inward city to change his tactics. The Oligarch suggests Camil to leave Baku, so his younger brother – Rafael’s life is in danger. Resigning from the chairman of the Community on the defense of Ichari Shahar, Camil leaves Baku together with Rafael and settle down in a devastated village where there is no one besides them. Rafael is obliged to obey the Elder brother, but promises to Maria to return after two weeks. After the departure of the brothers, the men of the Oligarch allure Maria to the villa of the boss by deceiving her and make captive of her (in order to prevent her from making a report for UNESCO). The villa where they have hidden Maria is situated not far from the devastated village where the brothers have settled down.
Worrying that Maria doesn’t answer his calls; Rafael decides to return to Baku. Camil is categorically against such decision. Then Rafael reveals to his brother that he is in love with Maria and that she is expecting his baby. Quarreling with Camil, Rafael leaves for Baku. But on his way he falls down the mud volcano. Cheating the dumb shepherd who watches over her, Maria escapes from the villa. Her road runs through the same mud volcano in which Rafael has fallen down. Rafael sends Maria off purposely, in order not to jeopardize her life (and their future child’s life) and drowns in mud volcano.
The men of the Oligarch kill Camil. Maria becomes witness of it hiding not far from the locus delicti.
Maria returns to Baku, makes a report and speaks with it in public successfully. The Oligarch and his men are arrested.
Some months later, Maria dreams of Rafael getting out of the volcano by miracle. She goes to mud volcano and sees that the corpses of two brothers have been thrown outside under the pressure. And then she hurriedly buries the brothers in the digging hole. She has birth pangs and at the side of the brothers’ grave she bears a child.
Maria returns to Ichari Shahar, to the house of the brothers. At dawn she climbs up the Maiden Tower with the child in her hands and looks at sunrise.
Shamil Aliyev
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DirectorShamil Aliyev
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Writers / DirectorShamil YAVER Aliyev
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Film TypeScripts
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GenresDrama
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Runtime2 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds
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Completion Date20 Dec, 2023
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Production Budget1500000000 USD
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Country of OriginAzerbaijan
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Country of FilmingAzerbaijan
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Film LanguageAzerbaijani
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Shooting Format35MM
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Aspect Ratio16:9
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Film ColorColor
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Student ProjectNo
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First-time FilmmakerNo
Director's Biography
BIO-FILMOGRAPHY
Shamil Aliyev – director, screenwriter, producer
Shamil Aliyev was born on June 26, 1960, in Baku, Azerbaijan. After graduating from
Azerbaijan State Institute of Culture in 1989, he had worked as film director in
“Azerbaijanfilm” film studio named after C. Cabbarly. His first feature film “Confession” was shot independently.
As director he further worked on various national TV channels. Mr. Aliyev was an author and director of several projects on TV. Among them, “Film Media”, “Cinematography”, “Classicists and contemporaries” dedicated to such cinematographers as Alfred Hitchcock, K. Zanussi, Andrei Tarkovski and others.
In 1999 he shot his short fiction film “Occasional Meeting”.
In 2012 he shot his feature film “STEPPE MAN”
2006-2007 He passed Master classes in the framework of the FOCAL IFA-SC program, at the screenwriter Claire Downs (Great Britain), Luciano Gloor (Switzerland), Cedomir Kolar (France), Sandy Lieberson (UK).
Chairman of the jury of the 5th International Film Festival START (AZERBAIJAN)
Member of Jury of 5th NOIDA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – 2018 (INDIA)
Member of Jury of 7th ART INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – 2021 (INDIA).
Member of Jury of 10th NONVIOLENT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – 2021 (USA, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA).
He is also a founder and director of NURFILM Producer Center.
Director's Statement
Love between Maria and Rafael allows them to be superior to prejudice, customs and traditions. They treat to foreign culture and civilization with understanding.
Under pressure of prejudices Camil – the Elder brother of Rafael falls into a net of egoism and as a result of this, into a net of fear, too. Evil (the Oligarch) to whom the notions of morality, culture, even religion are alien comes out and dictates his terms. The way out of the deadlock may not serve as confrontation, but as overcoming of disagreements and dialogue of civilizations – particularly, civilization of Christians and Muslims. People belonging to different cultures should learn to think globally and to treat the terrestrial globe like common home. Otherwise progressive section of humanity will face with the catastrophe and tragedy.
