“End of Season”: the difficulties of the old and the new living together

10/22/2019.- The Meeting Point section screened the feature film End of Season by director Elmar Imanov on Tuesday, October 22. The film tells the story of a family of three — mother, father, and son — on the verge of an existential void. A traditional family living in a country that has gone from communism to capitalism, the three of them are looking for independence within their own family.

Actress Zulfiyye Gurbanova, who visited Seminci to take part in a discussion with the festival’s audience, said that one of the main themes in this feature film is «the contrast between Azerbaijan’s traditional values​ and its opening to modernity and capitalism». The protagonist is an artist who mixes traditional Azerbaijani music and electronic music, and we find a metaphor in the music she listens to during the film.

These clashing values ​​are also part of the crisis that the female character is going through in the film, as the actress explained: «There are similar problems everywhere in the world». Since Azerbaijan’s religion is Islam, people think that the country is a bit behind on modern life, but it is not true. The actress stated that «Spanish lifestyle is more or less similar to that in Azerbaijan».

To finish with, she explained that the film relies heavily on the actors’ work and the relationship between the three main characters. The actress said that they have known each other “since 2011” and they have made «three films with this director» so far. Gurbanova explained that they share «a professional bond», they know each other very well, and that is why «it is so easy for them to work together».