BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4. More than 200,000 moviegoers have watched the feature film “Taghiyev”, produced by Baku Media Center, in cinemas across Azerbaijan to date.
The film’s episodes — “Taghiyev: Oil”, “Taghiyev: Tsar”, “Taghiyev: Sona” and “Taghiyev: School” — have attracted wide interest in the country’s leading cinemas, becoming one of the most popular Azerbaijani film projects. Cinemas have released official statistics, declaring “Taghiyev” the “Most-watched Azerbaijani film”.
The four-part film, which plays an important role in promoting Azerbaijan’s history and national values, saw the release of its first episode, “Taghiyev: Oil”, in 2024, marking the 100th anniversary of the death of the prominent philanthropist. The premiere of “Taghiyev: School” coincided with 2026, the year marking the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the girls’ school that played a major role in advancing education and enlightenment in Azerbaijan.
Overall, each episode of the film became a significant cultural event and attracted a broad audience. Due to continued public interest, screenings of the films are still being held in cinemas.
The films have been presented at numerous events both in Azerbaijan and abroad. In addition, “Taghiyev: Oil” was selected as Azerbaijan’s official submission for the “Best International Feature Film” category at the 98th Academy Awards (“Oscar”) and was screened in Los Angeles, the center of the US film industry. In 2026, the film was presented to an international audience at the Princess Anne Theatre of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London. At the “Dede Gorgud” Film Festival, lead actor and People’s Artist Parviz Mammadrezayev won the main award in the “Best Actor” category for his role in “Taghiyev: Oil”.
Meanwhile, the first episode of the film won the award in the “Best Colour Graded Feature Film” category at the internationally renowned Dehancer Colourist Awards 2024 festival.
The film explores major historical events that took place in Baku and the region at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Taghiyev’s life story is portrayed as a journey of struggle and perseverance. Each new era brings him a new goal and a new responsibility. He faces challenges but never steps back, suffers setbacks but emerges stronger.
The film’s production scale has also made it one of the notable projects in the history of Azerbaijani cinema. Filming took place at 76 different locations, with nearly 2,500 creative professionals participating in mass scenes. More than 300 sets were created for the historical scenes. A special costume workshop was established to accurately recreate Taghiyev’s era, producing numerous costumes, accessories, jewelry pieces and specialized props.
The film’s executive producer is Arzu Aliyeva, producer is Orman Aliyev, director is Zaur Gasimli, screenwriters are Ismayil Iman, Asif Iskandarli and Zaur Gasimli, cinematographer is Vladimir Artemyev, production designer is Sabuhi Atababayev, costume designer is Vusal Rahim, composer is Etibar Asadli, and editor is Asgar Rahimov.
By creating the film “Taghiyev” dedicated to the life story of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, Baku Media Center has made another valuable contribution to Azerbaijan’s film industry.
Taghiyev Film Week is being held at CinemaPlus cinemas on the occasion of Azerbaijan’s National Cinema Day. As part of the marathon running until August 9, viewers have the opportunity to watch four films dedicated to the life, struggles and rich legacy of Azerbaijan’s great philanthropist and education advocate Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev on the big screen once again.
