What's new
The landmark Azerbaijani feature film "44" officially held its premiere at the Heydar Aliyev Center on October 12. The presentation was attended by Baku Media Center Head Arzu Aliyeva alongside Alena Aliyeva. The premiere event opened with a minute of silence to honor fallen martyrs, followed by a live musical performance of the movie's soundtrack by the Symphony Orchestra of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the Azerbaijan State Choir Capella.
During the live performance, a documentary chronicle displaying archival footage of the nation's path to victory was screened, followed by a promotional video detailing the production process.
About the series
Produced with support from the Ministry of Culture, the Cinema Agency of Azerbaijan (ARKA), and the Baku Media Center, the drama honors the 44-day Patriotic War. The overall timeline encompassed five years, consisting of two years for script writing, one year of pre-production, 14 months of filming, and a year of editing that reduced 112 hours of raw footage down to a 2-hour and 38-minute runtime.
Key members of the creative team include:
- Artistic Director: Anar Alakbarov
- Directors: Ismail Safarali and Maksim Smetana
- Screenwriters: Anar Alakbarov and Ismail Iman
- Producer: Orman Aliyev
- Cinematographer: Oleksandr Pozdnyakov
- Editor: Elshad Rahimov
- Composer: Ruslan Aghababayev
- Sound Director: Teymur Karimov
What to expect
Told from the perspective of a cadet, this heroic and romantic drama centers on Special Forces officer Rashad Khalilov, Turkish orthopedic doctor Zeynep Ozdemir practicing in Azerbaijan, and special operations group commander Colonel Ramazan Karimov. Famous Turkish actress Özge Gürel stars alongside Azerbaijani actors and real participants of the Patriotic War. The cast completed tactical and military training at a Special Forces base prior to shooting.
Filming covered over 130 locations—including Baku, Shusha, Ganja, and Fuzuli—and featured 2,500 servicemen, 42 Special Forces soldiers, 32 lead actors, 1,143 supporting cast members, and more than 150 pieces of military equipment. Television or digital streaming release dates are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Source: turkish historical drama - BingNews · Published October 14, 2026 · Photo by Andrey K on Unsplash