One life in 88′, giving to this existence a beautiful and painful completeness. This was the idea of Hilal Baydarov and he has been able to carry out it at his second feature that follows up the very interesting Hills Without Names. In Between Dying tells the events of the one day has Davud to find his ideal family, the place where actually lies pure and unconditioned love. He will find it. And then…
Student of Bela Tarr at Sarajevo Film School, Baydarow sparkled interest around the world with the script of And Between Dying. It’s not by chance if among the producers is possible to find Joslyn Barnes (Nadine Labaki’s Capharnaüm) and Mexican director Carlos Reygadas that said flattering words for his pupil. «I met Hilal at Béla Tarr‘s film school in Sarajevo – Reygadas says – but we did not talk much, as he spent his time playing chess in Mostar. Then he sent me his films and I found them to be so rooted in a tradition of cinema that is today an endangered species – and at the same time so mystical. I felt grateful for the depth and the originality of this vision and thought I would be lucky if I could contribute in any way to Hilal’s possibilities of making more films».
33, Azerbaijani, Baydarow is also a much appreciated and almost compulsive documentarist. He shot five docs in two years, Mother and Son and When the Persimmons Grew were screened in many festivals such as Trieste Alpe Adria, Torino Film Festival, Vision du Reel and Sarajevo Film Festival. Finding new talents is festival goal and Venezia 77 seems to have fulfilled its purpose.
IN BETWEEN DYING
Azerbaijan, USA, 2020 Directed by Hilal Baydarov Cast Orkhan Iskandarli, Rana Asgarova Runtime 88’
