BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. A screening of the documentary film “The Cross of Stolen Churches” by British filmmaker Alexander Fodor, dedicated to the history of Christianity in Caucasian Albania and the fate of its ecclesiastical heritage, took place in the UK.
The filmmakers conducted extensive research into the Christian heritage of Caucasian Albania, presenting a balanced perspective on historical events. Filming took place in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The film tells the story of the origins of Christianity in Caucasian Albania, its heyday, and its subsequent decline. The filmmakers note that their research is based on archival documents and materials from the Vatican, Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Türkiye, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Greece, and Egypt.
One of the film’s central episodes features statements by Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze) of Manglisi and Tetritskaro, a hierarch and renowned historian of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Drawing on historical sources, he asserts that the Armenian Church did everything in its power to seize the property of the Albanian Church and appropriate its heritage.
The filmmakers also explore the stories of the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus and examine various theories regarding the locations associated with their mission and deaths. Special attention is given to the debate over the site of Apostle Bartholomew’s martyrdom: Baku or the territory of modern-day Türkiye.
Another line of inquiry involves the National Library of France, where the seal of the Great Catholicos of Caucasian Albania is kept. The filmmakers raise the question of the ownership of this relic and the possibility of its return to its historical homeland.
The film features rare archival footage, historical photographs, and contemporary graphics. The English-language narration is provided by British actors Ian Recordon and Heather Combs, and the soundtrack includes works by Irish composer David Byers, among others.
