synopsis
Against the backdrop of his hometown and momentous historical events, the director seeks the answer to a seemingly simple question: What is my very first memory? As the film progresses, the audiovisual topography of memory transforms into a labyrinth where trauma and disappointment may lurk around every corner, and yet we continue to navigate through it.
“The director, who wants to return to the most interesting period of his childhood, wanders the streets of the city where he was born and raised, to find traces of those years. This trip brings him to the place of his first memory.” — Tural Alisoy, Fonts in Use
biography
Matlab Mukhtarov (born 1988) is an Azerbaijani filmmaker who focuses on documentary filmmaking. He is interested in themes of personal and historical memory. His films are self- reflective in nature, and often have a philosophical dimension, yet they do not attempt to provide definitive answers, but rather compel us to ask fundamental questions.
film details
| director: | Matlab Mukhtarov |
| cast: | Leyla Mukhtarov, Matlab Mukhtarov, Albina Novruzlu, Pakiza Novruzova, Zeynab Ahmadli, Yusif |
| producer: | Emil Najafov |
| script: | Matlab Mukhtarov |
| photography: | Matlab Mukhtarov |
| editing: | Zeynab Ahmadli, Matlab Mukhtarov |
| music: | Firudin Allahverdi, Lim Giong, Ilgar Salim |
| sound: | Ilgar Salim |
Film at festival
| premiere type: | World Premiere |
| festival edition: | 2025 |
| section: | Short Joy |
| language: | Azerbaijani |
| subtitles: | Czech, English |
| colour: | Colour and B&W |
Info
| director: | Matlab Mukhtarov |
| original title: | Yaddaş sarayları |
| country: | Azerbaijan |
| year: | 2024 |
| running time: | 23 min. |
