Rza Takhmasib
Directing
Biography
Rza Abbasgulu oglu Tahmasib (Azerbaijani: Rza Təhmasib) was an Azerbaijani film director and actor. Tahmasib was born Rza Tahmasibbeyov to a wealthy merchant family. He received his primary education at Maktab-i Tarbiyya school in Nakhchivan, where he learned Russian, Persian and Arabic languages. He continued his education at a three-year Russian school in his hometown. His interest to theatre was invoked by actor Huseyn Arablinski who was touring Nakhchivan with his troupe in 1907. In 1910 he left for Tiflis where he studied at a School of Commerce and joined an amateur actors' club at Shaitan Bazaar. Constantly travelling between Nakhchivan, Tiflis and Erivan, he often participate in both amateur and professional theatre activities in all of the three cities. In 1918, Tahmasib moved to Baku to enter the program of Oriental Studies at the Azerbaijan State University. That same year he got married and had a son (who soon died by drowning in the Volga River), but the marriage did not last long. In his final year of university, Tahmasib switched to the program of Education. In 1933 he was invited by Sergei Eisenstein to Moscow to pursue a degree in film directing at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography and accepted the invitation, having been involved in theatre throughout the 1920s. In 1934 he married a widowed primary school teacher and had three more children. In 1943, Tahmasib directed the movie Sabuhi (1943), a tribute to writer and philosopher Mirza Fatali Akhundov. However Tahmasib's celebrated masterpiece is considered to be the musical comedy "The Cloth Peddler" (1945), which was a screen adaptation of Uzeyir Hadjibeyov's operetta of the same name, composed in 1913. The film was a success not only in Azerbaijan, but throughout the Soviet Union. For directing The Cloth Peddler, Tahmasib received the Stalin Prize in 1946. In 1947 Tahmasib acquired a Ph.D. degree and taught at the Azerbaijan Institute of Theatre. He also translated plays and theatre-related research articles from Russian to Azeri. His other films include The Lights of Baku (1950), in which Tahmasib himself starred, A Song Is Created Thus (1959) and Can One Forgive Him? (1960).
Known For
Dedicated to the development of the oil industry of Soviet Azerbaijan in the background of the first half of the twentieth century, including their selfless work in strengthening the economic and military might of the USSR.
The Fires of Baku
The film tells the story of journalistic morality in an analytical way. In this sense, the journalist must have a clear conscience and morality. He must find the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life and what have I been able to do for people?" The protagonist of the film, Zaur is a radio journalist. Throughout the plot, he seeks the answer to this question, but finds it difficult to find the answer, and the complex contrasts of life confuse him.
The Most Important Interview
The film is dedicated to the life and creative work of the great Azerbaijani educator, playwright, and philosopher, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, affectionately known as Sabuhi, meaning “man of the morning.”
Sabuhi
The film tells the story of the life, work, and social activities of Dagestan poet and singer Suleiman Stalsky.
How the Song is Composed
The film is about the Soviet People's patriotism and friendship.
A Family
Set in Baku at the turn of the 20th century, a young successful businessman Asgar wishes to marry. He wants his bride to be the choice of his heart, however, Azerbaijani tradition restricted him from communicating with the lady as a lover before marriage. So Asgar decides to disguise himself as a mere cloth peddler and the young woman Gulchohra falls in love with him.
Arshin Takes a Wife
Summer 1942. Nazi troops storm the Caucasus. They are rushing to get their hands on Baku oil. An Abwehr special group called "Wartburg" has settled in the Nalchik area. In Baku, German spy Ziegel (Pavel Kadochnikov) heads to the oil fields from Maykop under the name of Soviet engineer Kashtanov. Tankers carrying gasoline begin to explode in the Caspian Sea. Soviet counterintelligence agent "Khazri" infiltrates "Wartburg"...
The Winds Blow in Baku
The film is about the public prosecutor who fought against the criminality but was killed by them.
In the Name of the Law
A new teacher arrives in a remote mountain village, where the old traditions still hold sway.
Almas
The film is about the boy who got under bad when influence after losing his family he faced with tragic events.
Can One Forgive Him?
A historical film about the struggle in the 18th century of the young ruler of the Kuban Khanate, Fatali Khan, who sought to unite the scattered khanates into a single Azerbaijani state.