The 40th Door

Colour, 35 mm
Azerbaijan, 2008, 82 min
EP – European premiere
Section: East of the West - Films in Competition

Synopsis

Fourteen-year-old Rustam lives with his mother in a village; his father was killed by the Russian mafia. After his father’s death, Rustam tries to provide for himself and his mother without resorting to illegal money-making schemes. But his dream is to join a music band. The title of the film refers to an Azerbaijani fairy tale about saving a princess from a house with 40 doors; no one has succeeded in opening the last door, and thus its secret remains hidden. The villagers have named their village the 40th door as well. The movie is striking and faithful in its attempt to tell the dramatic story of a young protagonist and his initiation into adulthood. Shot in a somewhat naïve style, The 40th Door excels for its discerning camerawork, successful performances, and occasional symbolism. Thanks to its authenticity and lack of ostentation, the film offers a gripping excursion into exotic Azerbaijani cinema.

About the director

Elchin Musaoglu (b. 1966, Azerbaijan) graduated in theater direction from the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts and Culture, and in theater science from Moscow’s State Institute of Theater Arts, where he studied under Mark Zakharov. He has shot nearly 50 documentaries and features, many of which have been screened at world festivals, including Oberhausen, Leipzig, and Berlin’s Interfilm festival. He is a member of the Azerbaijan Cinematographers Union and a founder of the Society for Support of the Development of Documentary Films and Authorial Programs.