Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Baku, the capital and the largest city of Azerbaijan, will be reflected in a short film to be made on the basis of a screenplay by young screenwriters.

In order to materialize this plan Azerbaijan has announced a contest titled "Modern Baku" for young screenwriters, head of AE Group Production Eyyub Aliyev told Trend Life.

Screenwriters under the age of 22 can participate at the contest and the best three works will be financed for shooting short films, Aliyev said.

According to him, the main goal of the contest is to explore young screenwriters and their viewpoint on present-day Baku, enabling realization of their ideas.

Bids for participation at the contest will be received from July 15 and winners will be determined in September this year.

The panel of judges includes People's Artist of Azerbaijan, director Yalchin Efendiyev, director Elkhan Jafarov, camera operator Nadir Mehdiyev, journalist Nazila Babayeva and rapper Anar Naghilbaz.

The history of the Azerbaijani capital has already been covered by various projects. A multi-million dollar film about the history of Baku oil industry starring world-known actors will be shot in Hollywood. The film will describe mutual relations in the Nobels-Rothschilds-Rockefellers triangle of the great powers and the global role played by the Baku oil.

Baku, "the city of winds", is the largest city of not only the Land of Fire but also the Caucasus. The pearl of the Caspian Sea is one of the most beautiful cities in the world as well. Baku, which could be compared to Naples, San Francisco and other big cities of the world, lies on the southern edge of the Absheron Peninsula and at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

People have lived and founded their settlements in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula since ancient times. This was motivated by continuous migration due to geographical conditions, a favorable location in the center of trade routes that crossed the historic Silk Road, climatic conditions and the production of oil.

The oldest center of the world oil industry, Baku turned into a large and modern city within a short period of time. Furthermore, the rapidly developing city has become a coveted place for work and life, for leisure and entertainment.

Modern Baku is becoming more famous in the world, confirming its reputation whereby antiquity and classical style are harmoniously combined with the latest architectural achievements. Modern architectural masterpieces include the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center.

The sinuous trifecta of skyscrapers known as the Flame Towers, the facades of which are turned into gigantic display screens at night and dominate the city's skyline, is one of the tallest buildings in Baku. The towers' shape was inspired by the city's history of Zoroastrian fire worshipping and its ongoing connection with natural gas.

Another architectural pearl of Baku is the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, which has been included in the list of the best architectural projects of 2012.

There are numerous historical monuments in the city as well. The "Baku Acropolis", "Old City", "Inner City" -- all these are the names for Icherisheher, a unique historical monument located at the heart of Baku. Icherisheher is the oldest existing part of the city. Icherisheher and its defensive fortresses are symbols of patriotism and a great source of national pride and dignity for the Azerbaijanis.

The city is also famous for its historical monuments like the Maiden Tower, Shirvanshahs' Palace, and the ancient Ateshgah Fire Temple.

Maiden Tower is probably one of the most mysterious monuments in Azerbaijan. Historians argue that it was used as an observatory by ancient astronomers, while others say it was a fortress and an important part of the city's defense system against intruders. It was a Zoroastrian temple used for fire worshipping, sacrifice rituals and other religious ceremonies.

Ateshgah, "House of Fire", is an impressive place, fascinating with its secrets, mysterious and dark appearance.

Thus, the participants of the project will not have any difficulties in shooting interesting short films in such a beautiful and historical city.