Asif Kapadia's “Ali & Nino”

Show Reel of AZ Celtic Films[1]

See: Mavi Boncuk's Ali and Nino

Mavi Boncuk | The first still has been released for “Ali & Nino,” which Asif Kapadia[2] is shooting in Azerbaijan from a script by Christopher Hampton.

The adaptation of Kurban Said’s novel is produced by Kris Thykier (“Woman in Gold”) and executive produced by Leyla Aliyeva. IM Global will handle international sales.

Adam Bakri (“Omar”) and Maria Valverde (Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings”) star as the titular star-crossed lovers, and are joined by Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Princess Bride”) and Connie Nielsen (“Nymphomaniac,” “Gladiator”), playing Nino’s parents Gregor and Tamar Kipiani.

Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in Baku, the cosmopolitan, oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan, which, at the beginning of the 20th century, is a melting pot of different cultures. Ali is a Muslim, with his warrior ancestors’ passion for the desert; and Nino is a Christian Georgian girl with sophisticated European ways.

The two have loved each other since childhood, and Ali is determined that he will marry Nino, despite their cultural differences, but there is not only the obstacle of their different religions and parental consent to overcome.

World War I breaks out, and Baku’s oil becomes the focus of Russia’s grab for power. As the war plays out and control of the Caucuses changes hands, Ali and Nino find themselves swept up in Azerbaijan’s fight for independence. 

Source

[1] AZ Celtic Films is an Istanbul-based production company providing full spectrum technical and logistical services at the highest international standards for international film productions.

[2] Asif Kapadia (born 1972) is a British filmmaker of Indian descent. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief (1997), winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior (2001), which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film 2003 and Senna (2010), winner of the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary and the BAFTA Award for Best Editing and the World Cinema Audience Award Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2011. 

Kapadia's most recent film Amy depicts the life and death of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. The film created a massive impact towards many, as they have described the it as "heartbreaking", "awe-inspiring", "unmissable", "the best documentary of the year" and "a tragic masterpiece". The film has received 5 out of 5 ratings when it was reviewed at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in May.