Coal (Azerbaijani: Kömür) – a film by Azerbaijani scenarist and film director Ismayil Munsif and by French producer Etienne de Ricaud. The use of Azerbaijani Turkic in the movie caused some obstacles. The film was not awarded at the Fajr International Film Festival.[1] The director said that, this was due to the fact that the film was shot in Azerbaijani Turkic. Later, the promotion of the film was banned in the city of Ardabil under the pretext of promoting pan-Turkism.[2] However, there was nothing promoting Turkism in the script of the film. A day after the banning ordered by the Irshad and Culture Department of Ardabil, the Turkic-language film "Coal" was allowed to be screened in Ardabil in the face of protests.[3]

Coal
Directed byIsmayil Munsif
Written byIsmayil Munsif
Produced byEtienne de Ricaud
Running time
86 minutes
Countries
  • France
  • Iran
LanguageAzerbaijani language

About

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Coal, a joint production with France, was shot in Azerbaijani Turkic. The scriptwriter and director of the movie shot in Astara is Ismayil Munsif[4] and the producer is Etienne de Rica. The premiere of the film took place on October 9 at the Setare-Baran cinema in Tabriz.[5] However, while the film attracted attention in Iran's "Fajr" International Film Festival, it did not win any awards.[6] The director of the film, Ismayil Munsif, explained in his Instagram account the reason why the film was not awarded any prize:[7]

I have no doubt that if the film had been produced in Persian and with a well-known producer, its fate could be completely different today. But I must say that, I will always make a film in Turkic. In the language of the nation that his share in Iranian cinema consists only of a series of ridiculous elements, which every viewer laughs at and these insults had never been censored by the Guidance Department. This means insulting different ethnic groups.

Although the film was screened in Tehran[8] and Tabriz, it was banned from being shown in Ardabil. The screening of the film was banned under the pretext of promoting pan-Turkism.[3] However, there was nothing promoting Turkism in the script of the film. The film is expected to be shown in France as well.[9]

Plot

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A character named Geyrat is engaged in coal production in one of the border villages of Azerbaijan. His son Yashar, who is in prison for stealing gold, is allowed furlough for his sister's wedding. However, with the sudden disappearance of Yashar, Geyrat faces a new problem.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "İran Azərbaycanında türkdilli "Kömür" filmi böyük ekranlara çıxıb" (in Azerbaijani). Voice of America. October 10, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "توقیف فیلم "کومور" در اردبیل توسط عوامل رژیم نژادپرست فارس" (in Persian). gadtb.com. October 24, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Hamid Məlikoğlu (October 24, 2019). "Etirazlardan sonra İran Azərbaycanında türkdilli filmin nümayişinə icazə verildi" (in Azerbaijani). Voice of America. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  4. ^ Mirmehdi Ağaoğlu (September 7, 2020). "Rejissor İsmayıl Münsifin APA-ya müsahibəsi". apa.az. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  5. ^ ""Kömür" filmi Azərbaycanda böyük maraqla qarşılandı" (in Azerbaijani). aznews.tv. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Güney Azərbaycanda türkdilli "Kömür" filmi böyük ekranlara çıxıb" (in Azerbaijani). basta2.com. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  7. ^ ""Kömür" filmi bu gündən Təbriz, Ərdəbil və Tehran kinotreatrlarında yayımlanacaq" (in Azerbaijani). gunaz.tv. October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Iran-French co-production "Kömür" goes on screen in Tehran". tehrantimes.com. October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  9. ^ ""Kömür" filmi tezliklə Fransada nümayiş olunacaq / Le film iranien "Charbon" sera projeté bientôt en France" (in French). irna.ir. October 23, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Kömür (2019)". imdb.com. April 17, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.