Nariman Aliyev: "The return of Crimea is a matter of honor of Ukraine"

The film EVGE ("Home") of the Crimean Tatar director Nariman Aliyev will be shown in the competition program ("Special View") of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival (from May 14 to 25).

According to the Ukrainian media, this film is a full -length debut of Nariman Aliyev. It is known for the trilogy of the short -term “Crimean Stories”, which includes the films “Return with Dawn” (2013), “I love you” (2014) and “Without you” (2015). The last film received positive reviews at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinal).

In August 2018, in the Kherson region, Nariman Aliyev conducted a casting for roles in his new film. Novoalekseevka, where the actors were selected, reminded the director of his native village of Petrovka in the Krasnogvardeisky district of Crimea. Nariman told about the history of his family and about the new picture to the publication "Crimea. Realities".

- The name of the film is “home”, what is the meaning of you put into this name, what place would be called your home?

Crimea is our house, and we can only keep the way there

- When you say a “house”, you represent the place where you want to return, what holds you. For me, this is my own home in the Crimea, where I grew up, where my parents live. Of course, when I am talking about the house, I mean my village Petrovka. In this project "Home" means where we are going. To the Crimea. This is where the plot is built. This is our house, and we can only keep the path there. In the Crimea, we cannot shoot, it is physically impossible. The scenes that take place in the Crimea itself in the Crimea itself, we will shoot in the Genic region, on the Arabat Strelka. Moreover, in the past this territory belonged to the Dzhankoy district of Crimea. It’s good that at least some piece of Crimea will enter the film.

- Until the film was released, can you tell me what it is about? Are the events currently taking place in it?

- Our film is about his father and son, who bring from Kyiv the body of their eldest son and brother to bury him in his homeland, in the Crimea. Our realities will be the leitmotif of the history of heroes. But in the center we always have a human story, which is based on a conflict of generations, attitude to the very concept of "house".

- Why is Novoalekseevka?

- Novoalekseevka was chosen because there is a compact settlement of Crimean Tatars. Novoalekseevka is very similar to my native Petrovka (a village in the Krasnogvardeisky district of Crimea), I feel very good here.

- The network has information that this film will also be part of the new trilogy. Is it so?

- Previously, it was called "on the border", but then was renamed. There is a plan of a full -length trilogy, but I don’t know if it will be implemented while I am focused on this project, and we'll see there. There is a desire to make a kind of full -length block. But while focused on the first film.

- Who is the screenwriter, the producer of the film? Is there support from the Ukrainian state?

- The producer of the picture is Vladimir Yatsenko, the Kyiv Limelite studio. Literally last month, they participated in the competition for state support from the Ministry of Culture. The main part of the budget of the film is state - 80%, and 20% - funds of the studio and investment of partners. Two scriptwriters: I and the young Ukrainian specialist director Marysya Nikityuk.

- What language is the film?

- In Ukrainian. The film will also sound Crimean Tatar speech, with Ukrainian subtitles.

-In your opinion, can a movie help change something in the current position of the Crimean Tatar people?

For Crimean Tatars, it is important that they do not forget about them ... When you feel that nothing is happening, this is the worst

- Cinema is an instrumentation that causes emotions, helps to survive, feel certain moments, events along with the characters of the film. I really want the theme of the Crimean Tatars to sound so that it is interested in it, they could learn more about ourselves as people, and not just as a political nation. Everyone knows, from the side, how we position ourselves in the realities of war and occupation, but people remain. You can show a discussion on various worldview topics within the community, I want to discuss them, look for a way out together.

For Crimean Tatars, it is important that they are not forgotten. Because our people know how to wait, tolerate, believe. We need to understand that this is not in vain, that it is moving towards something. When you feel that nothing is happening, this is the worst.

-Crimea will be the Crimean Tatar?

-Naturally, Crimea will be the Crimean Tatar. If my parents, who were born in Uzbekistan, in deportation, would not believe that they would return to the Crimea, then they would never have returned, no one would ever return. We have a very strong faith. It is very important to be able to carry this with you, to convey to other generations, to remain faithful to yourself.

We believe in this not because, for example, we will live better, but more correctly for the development and preservation of our culture, our traditions. We are like an ethnic group. Nation of the Crimean Tatars. I would like what your ancestors live, what you have brought up on, have its own logical development.

I want what your ancestors live, what you have brought up on, have its own logical development

The issue of the return of Crimea should be resolved comprehensively, by joint actions. This is a matter of honor of the entire Ukrainian people and the country - to fight for it. I do not belong to the Crimea as the territory. I treat Crimea as a homeland, as a part of the country whose citizen I am, the changes that have occurred are not clear to me, this is unacceptable. This is your house, which was taken, like part of Ukraine, along with the Donetsk and Lugansk regions - it cannot be said simply that this is no longer there. Today there is no this, tomorrow another, so physically there will be nothing left for what to live.

- You mentioned the return of your parents from the deportation. How did the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people affect your family, where did they come from?

- My grandfather in my father was from the Krasnogvardeisky district, a grandmother for father from Kerch, in her mother - Nizhnysk and Belogorsk. Now my relatives live in the Krasnogvardeisky, Nizhnyursky districts - we practically returned to where our ancestors came from. My ancestors are more Nogai, the steppe Crimean Tatars. My parents were born in deportation, but met already in the Crimea, I was born in the Crimea.

- What would you wish your fellow countrymen?

-There is such a Crimean Tatar word "Sabyr"-patience. I wish everyone patience. With patience to survive everything that happens.