The documentary film “Bura mənim evimdir” (Here is My Home), produced with the support of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been awarded at the 10th International Ege Art Short Film Festival held in Izmir, Turkey.

The film narrates the story of a young man named Jeyhun Garabaghli, born in the United States and raised there, as he visits his homeland, the village of Suleymanli in the Jabrayil district of Azerbaijan, and reflects on his experiences there.

The presentation ceremony was attended by Nasimi Narimanov, the Advisor to the Chairman of the State Committee, and Ibrahim Mirzayev, the Director of the Department of International Relations, Information, and Press Service of the Committee.

Nasimi Narimanov stated that the film's international screening aims to convey the voice of refugees and IDPs to the world and highlight the urbicide and ecocide caused by Armenia in the Azerbaijani territories during the occupation period.

The film depicts how the Armenians transformed the living places of the Azerbaijani population, their private houses, and administrative buildings into ruins, causing irreparable damage to the environment and ecology for nearly 30 years during the occupation of the Jabrayil district.

It was noted that the film was made by IDPs. The director is Nijat Jalilov, an IDP from Aghdam district. Both he and his father, Karim Jalilov, were participants in the Karabakh War. Other members of the film's production team - Isa Ismayilov from Lachin, Asgar Khudiyev from Jabrayil, and Fuad Jafarov from Aghdam - are also IDPs.

Javanshir Garabaghli, the grandfather of the hero of the film Jeyhun Garabaghli, participated in the World War II, could not return to Azerbaijan after the end of the war, lived a strange life in Turkey, Egypt, Italy, America. However, he never forgot his homeland, passing on his love for the homeland to his children and grandchildren. Seeing the village of Suleymanli, where his father spent his childhood and youth, has been Jeyhun's dream, and the liberation of our lands from occupation provided him with the opportunity to fulfill this dream.

In the film, the American young man expresses his commitment to his heritage and nationality very impressively. His emotions and impressions of his ancestral homeland are presented as both a patriotic story and a protest against the occupation that left the lands in ruins.  

The screening of the film at the 10th International Ege Art Short Film Festival was met with great interest by the participants. “Bura mənim evimdir” (Here is My Home) was honored with the “Fidelity” award by the festival's jury.

The film, which was presented in Baku on November 20, 2023, with the participation of the management of the State Committee, members of the Milli Majlis, representatives of government agencies, social activists, and IDPs, is planned to be screened all over the world.

Within the framework of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, the 10th International Ege Art Short Film Festival received 3076 short films from 117 countries.