Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

The first night of a film jointly shot by Turkey and Azerbaijan was held in Istanbul last Friday.

Director Mehmet Ada Oztekin's debut feature, 'Mahmut ile Meryem' (Mahmut and Meryem) is an epic star-crossed love story based on a book by well-known Azerbaijani author Elchin Afandiyev.

The gala night brought together famous Turkish artists, actors and officials. Elchin Afandiyev also attended the event and in his opening speech, he approved the film version of the novel, which was written 32 years ago.

"Love knows no boundaries and aims at spiritual clearness, which all the religions have," Afandiyev said.

The film tells the dramatic love story of a young Turkish man, Mahmut, and a priest's daughter, Meryem, in the face of the historical events of the Battle of Chaldiran. The 120-minute film is full of visual effects.

The main parts are played by gorgeous Aras Bulut Iynemli and Eva Dedova. Together with Turkish actors, famous Azerbaijani actors, including Fahreddin Manafov and Melahat Abbasova, were involved in the filming.

The movie has been released and screened in the cinemas both in Turkey and Azerbaijan since last Friday.

The film shooting, which finished in fall 2012, took place in the picturesque Sheki, Gakh, Gabala, and Baku cities in Azerbaijan as well as in ancient Turkish cities including Safranbolu, Duzce, Sakarya, and Istanbul.

The book "Mahmut and Meryem" enjoyed high popularity in Turkey and has been translated five times, which allows to predict the success of the film based on it.

The story is set in the early 16th century in the ancient Azerbaijani city of Ganja, which was governed by many - from the Ottomans to the Mongols, Seljuks and Safavids.

With its plot and setting, "Mahmut ile Meryem" covers both history and details which make it interesting for a wide-ranging audience.

The title puts the names of the young man and the girl together. The young man, Mahmut, is the heir to the throne of Ganja. Unlike his power-craving father Ziyad Khan, Mahmut is gentler and more humanist, which makes him averse to power, and hence to the throne.

For him, there are more important things in life than power over others - namely the love he cherishes for Meryem, the daughter of a Christian priest. Rejecting the path chosen for him, Mahmut embarks on a dangerous journey in quest of his love.

On the other hand, Meryem's father tries to keep her away from Mahmut because of the religious differences.