Arif Babayev
Directing
Biography
Arif Hadji oglu Babayev (Azerbaijani: Arif Hacı oğlu Babayev) was an Azerbaijani film director and Honorary Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR. Arif Babayev was born on September 20, 1928 in Baku. The Babayevs family lived on Qala Street, in Ichari Shahar. As a child, Arif attended theatrical circles. His engagement in theatre led him to apply to study in a theatrical school. Until then he played walk-on parts in the plays "Malikmammad", "Garaja giz" and "Ibrat". In 1946, the Azerbaijan State Theatrical Institute was created on the basis of the theatrical school. Arif Babayev was admitted into the directing program and was taught by director and actor Mehdi Mammadov. Mehdi Mammadov entrusted Mayor's role from N.V.Gogol's The Government Inspector to Arif Babayev. In 1953, Arif Babayev graduated from the institute and was placed to work at the Nakhchivan State Theater. In this theatre, he staged Gogol's play Marriage. He returned to Baku after some time and began working as a stage director at the Theater of Young Spectators. On February 14, 1956, the first program went on air of the Azerbaijani Television. Arif Babayev was invited to work on television. In 1956, he shot his first documentary film Children of our City, marking the birth of television film in Azerbaijan. In 1959, he was appointed the chief director of the Azerbaijani Television. In these years, he shot a number of documentaries, staged television plays, such as Moabit Diaries by Musa Cälil, Blind Woman by Taras Shevchenko, Law by Rasul Rza, and The Morning by Mehdi Huseyn. In 1964, he became the first television worker in Azerbaijan who was given the title of the Honorary Art Worker. He was invited to Azerbaijanfilm in the same year. In 1964, he debuted as a director with short the film Summit, the first one in the series Whom We Love More, based on original screenplay by Imran Gasimov.
Known For
Murad, a young man fails the entrance exam to the Institute and starts working at the meat factory. His cousin Rustam, a worker on a building site, fights with him against the dishonest people who sell pieces of meat from the factory. After a series of dramatic situations, Murad and Rustam manage to uncover the thieves.
The Last Night of Childhood
Young inspector investigates a murder in small town.
The Stab in the Back
The film is about relations between two generations and about idols of the youth.
Forgive Us
The film is about oilmen having different ideals and decisions, were also based on this same ideology, depiciting the heroism of oil workers, who never became exhausted and who continued working in oil, generation after generation. It was the oil workers who were always invincible, unconquerable and unyieling, in contrast with other characters who were shown as weak and who preferred to earn a living via easier means.
The First Hour of Life
The film is about an oilman who took a lost worker's place and won the respect of other oilmen, was also based on this same ideology, depicting the heroism of oil workers, who never became exhausted and continued working in oil, generation after generation.
Man Casts an Anchor
The film-novella tells of a group of alpinists climbing a snowy mountain, and how they conduct themselves in the face of a difficult trial.
Peak
After the novel of the same name of M. Avdiyev and A. Donets. The film is about first operations of National State Security.
The Day after Tomorrow at Midnight
The film is about man and woman who remembered their childhood. The film reflects atmosphere of Baku. It is an adaptation of Anar Rzayev's "Georgian surname" novel.
The Day Passed
The movie almanac is dedicated to athletes. Three short stories ("Through the Mountain Forest", "The Top", The Force of Gravity") tell about mutual help, friendship, public duty and the formation of the character of a real person.
Who Do We Love More?
The film is about the gardener who cultivated magic apples which brought luck to people.