Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova, AzerNews Staff Writer

Popular French movie star and filmmaker Gerard Depardieu will visit Baku for a second time in September, French media reported.

The 63-year-old actor will portray 19th century French novelist Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, in a film about the writer's travels in Azerbaijan, as depicted in Dumas' classic 1859 travelogue, The Caucasus (Le Caucase).

During his visit to Azerbaijan in December 2010, Depardieu appeared before George Bizet`s ``Carmen`` opera that took place as part of the fourth International Rostropovich Festival at the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater and recited parts of Prosper Merimee`s ``Carmen`` novella.

Depardieu said then, ``It would be interesting for me to play Alexandre Dumas who is traveling across Azerbaijan, and I intend to look for some documents on this subject in France.``

``If Dumas had grown fascinated with this land back in those days, that means it has long possessed abundant cultural diversity,`` he said.

``Dumas was a man who loved good food and women, and, I think it would be interesting to personify his character, while an Azerbaijani actress will play the Khan`s daughter.``

Dumas traveled in Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region currently under Armenian occupation, in the 19th century and was hosted by poetess Natavan, who was the daughter of the last Khan of Karabakh.

Dumas senior visited the Caucasus at the time when Russian Empire fought in the so-called Caucasus war in XIX century, the main events of which took place in the northern part of present-day Azerbaijan.