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    • NTC Award Ceremony
      New Talent Competition gives young filmmakers from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe the opportunity to present their outstanding debut or second film to the public. Join us on Sunday 1 December at 19h
    • Music at ENFF
      The Eastern Neighbours Film Festival welcomes special musical guests each year to enrich our program. For this 16th edition, we’re thrilled to present two talented young musicians: guitarist Antonio Peršak (CR) and violinist İdil Yunkuş (TR). Together, they will perform a traditional Balkan dance and folk song, highlighting the beauty of this music through the… Read more: Music at ENFF
    • Masterclass with Janez Burger
      This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to explore Burger's distinct storytelling style, genre use, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Join us on Saturday 30 November at 17h - Room 5
    • Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema
      Panel Discussion: Exploration of individual and collective memory in cinema on Friday 29 November at 18h

Once Upon a Time in Shanghai

DirectorLeyli Gafarova
ProducerVeit Helmer
CameraLeyli Gafarova
EditorLeyli Gafarova
SoundMichiel De Malsche, Leyli Gafarova
MusicEmin Sabitoglu
Year2018
Length35 min
CountryAzerbaijan/Germany
SubtitlesEnglish
SectionShort Films, Big Stories
ScreeningThursday 7 November | 17:15 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag
Saturday 9 November | 11:15 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag

The renowned German director Veit Helmer is shooting a fiction film in a poor area of the capital Baku in Azerbaijan. The area is called Shanghai and its inhabitants are part of the film. The director’s assistant, Lejli Gafarova, makes a documentary parallel to shooting of the fiction and the famous actor, Miki Manojlovic, arrives too. A hilarious and thought-provoking documentary.

Synopsis

Intercepting the footage of the German film crew trying to film around the railroad going through Shanghai with scenes of the slum’s daily life, the director takes us on a journey through the last days of a slum in Azerbaijan’s capital. Men talk with a sense of nostalgia and pride over the petty crimes they’ve committed as youngsters from Shanghai. Elders instruct children to express their love for Shanghai, while children talk about the fear they feel when a train interrupts their play at the railroads and friends end up in the hospital.

Director’s bio

Georgian director Leyli Gafarova studied film at the Royal Institute for Theatre Cinema and Sound in Brussels. She finds inspiration in conflicts of everyday life and human interactions. She made five short fiction films before moving to documentaries. Her films include ‘Everything is beautiful about life’ and ‘A Humble room ADO’ 2017. 

Festivals & Awards (selection)

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, 2018 – Short Documentary Competition (World Premiere) | CineDOC, Tbilisi 2019