Starring Orkhan Ata, The Island Within (cinematography by Orkhan Abbasov, production design by Elturan Mammadov, costume design by Leyla Madatkhanova, with Kamran Agabalayev as production assistant) is the latest work by Rufat Hasanov, who also directed Buqələmun (Chameleon) and #yoxdubeləsöhbət (#nosuchconversation), the films that occupy an important place in the history of Azerbaijani cinema.
The Island Within tells the story of Seymour Tahirbekov, an international chess grandmaster from Azerbaijan, who finds himself lost in a maze of family problems before the final match of the World Chess Championship and runs away from them to a remote with only one human resident.
The star of the film actor Orkhan Ata: “I think that the success of a film depends on its director. The more the director protects the film and promotes it in the right places, the more value it will gain. That’s why we can say that The Island Within team is very lucky to have Rufat Hasanov as our director. At this point, Rufat Hasanov has passed the baton directly to the Azerbaijani lobby. Now it’s up to the Azerbaijani lobby in the United States and the consulate in Los Angeles. We will see if Azerbaijan cares whether this film will be competing for an Academy Award. We will also see whether the image of a ‘chess country’ is important to Azerbaijan, whether it is necessary or not.”
We wish the entire cast and crew of The Island Within, including director Rufat Hasanov, success in this prestigious competition.
Aze.Media