Ismayil Imanov

August 1922. An American journalist, Jerry Thompson, travels to the Soviet Union and arrives in Azerbaijan. He visits the settlement of Mardakan in Baku. There, he meets an elderly man at a villa. Thompson can hardly believe what he hears. Standing before him is Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, a once-great oil producer, millionaire, and philanthropist who lost all his wealth after the establishment of Soviet rule. Haji recounts his life story to the guest, a journey that saw him rise from a humble mason to an influential oil industrialist.

In the autumn of 1888, Baku is preparing for the visit of His Majesty Alexander III. Millionaire and member of the Baku City Duma, Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, is fighting for influence and status in society. The city mayor, Orlovsky, taking advantage of his position, seeks to seize the oil field of Teymurbekov, who has committed suicide. Meanwhile, Ismail, the eldest son of Haji, meets General’s daughter, Nurjahan Arablinskaya, and intends to marry her.

Samir is an amateur filmmaker. Along with his despotic father and older sister Roza he resides in “Shanghai”, a slum located in close proximity to downtown Baku, the capital of the oil rich Republic of Azerbaijan. By sheer accident, Samir captures a video of Roza getting intimate with her boyfriend.

The villagers, who think that Hasan is dead, believe that he has mystical powers when he opens his eyes. The subsequent course of events begins to unfold around Hasan, and is based on this mystical atmosphere.

In May 1896, Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was still strong and enterprising, but he openly felt bored spending the warm season at his summer house in Mardakan. Haji wanted a family. He decided to propose to Sona Arablinskaya, the younger sister of Nurjahan Arablinskaya, Ismail’s wife. Haji’s plan caused bewilderment among the Arablinsky family and angered Ismail. Yet Haji succeeded —Sona herself agreed, her parents gave in, but the marriage between Haji and Sona destroyed the relationship between Haji and Ismail.