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The Return of the Projectionist (12) + ScreenTalk with director Orkhan Aghazadeh

New East Cinema

,Cinema 3
A man takes a photograph of another man standing next to an old cinema projector in a garden.

In a remote village in Azerbaijan's Talysh Mountains, Samid, a television repairman, is trying to fix his old Soviet projector and revive the local cinema.

Samid’s journey is marked by the search for a tiny lightbulb only sold abroad – a task made possible with the help of Ayaz, a 16-year-old neighbour with a passion for filmmaking. As the two try to bring the magic of cinema back to their community, Samid and Ayaz form a special bond. Filmed observationally, Orkhan Aghazadeh’s feature debut often blurs the lines between documentary and fiction, with beautifully composed shots and carefully planned camera angles that capture the essence of the village, its community, and its surroundings – serene landscapes evoking those seen in the cinema of neighbouring Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami.

Having premiered at Visions Du Reel 2024, The Return of Projectionist has been compared to beloved classics, like Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso, emphasising the fundamental joy of storytelling.

Tagged with: Cinema New East Cinema ScreenTalks

Director Orkhan Aghazadeh will join in person for a ScreenTalk following the screening.

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Cinema 3