"I Am 80 Years Old, Whose Door Should I Knock On?" - The Rebellion of Yusif Alizade

Famous actor and director Yusif Alizade, one of the beloved faces of Azerbaijani cinema who left a mark on memories with the character Ferid in the film "Yol Ehvalatı" (Road Story), made striking statements about his career. The artist, who has reached the age of 80, rebelled by stating that the titles, awards, and financial means that many of his colleagues have today were not given to him. Alizade expressed that at the core of this situation lies his чрезмерная modesty, and that this characteristic sometimes prevented him from seeking his rights. Emphasizing that he never voluntarily knocked on anyone's door to ask for support, the experienced artist argued that his relationships and job demands in the cinema community always progressed within a framework of mutual respect.

Speaking to Moderator.az, Alizade stated that he never made any initiatives for his own interests, and that he even met job requests from his circle with great self-sacrifice. He explained that he helped others by not turning down numerous phone calls asking him to employ them. Breaking the requests of these individuals, the artist supported them to the end so they could enter the cinema sector. However, despite all these good deeds and solidarity, he stated that he witnessed with great heartache that he was not given the honorary titles and awards he deserved by the state or institutions, even though he reached the age of 80. He expressed his helplessness and reproach with the words: "Have I fallen to the point where, at 80 years old, I should go knock on your door and ask why you aren't giving me a title? What does this mean?"

The artist's claims during his statements that his labor in the cinema sector was usurped also caused a huge reaction. Explaining the great injustices he experienced in the two films he shot for Kinostüdyo, Alizade stated that his name was not even included in the credits. He recalled that when two diplomant interns came from Mozambique at that time, the studio director of the time, Ramiz Fetaliev, asked him to write a script and shoot a film to assist these individuals. Thinking that this situation was an important step in terms of regional cinema collaborations and educational diplomacy, Alizade did not turn down this request, stating that he both wrote the script and personally directed the film.

Although the film in question earned an honorary decree for Kinostüdyo, the fact that Alizade's name was not credited as a screenwriter caused great disappointment. He stated that when he conveyed the situation to director Fetaliev, the response he received was very stonewalling and dismissive. Alizade, who demanded that his name be written at least as a screenwriter in the project he personally undertook the direction of, was given the answer: "You are already the director, what is the need for this?" Emphasizing that after this incident, he had serious doubts about the functioning of the sector and felt that unsung heroes were being wronged.

Yusif Alizade recounted that in another incident, upon the request of a cinematographer named Sadraddin, he once again set an example of great sacrifice. Stating that he also wrote the script for a film for this operator and then successfully directed the film, the artist stated that he encountered a huge surprise after the shooting was completed. When the film was finished, he learned that his name was not mentioned anywhere in the final credits, neither as a director nor as a screenwriter. Commenting on these two upsetting incidents, the master artist claimed that there was intense jealousy in the sector at that time and his efforts were systematically ignored. Pointing out that such injustices constitute only a small part of the grievances experienced in Azerbaijani cinema history, he brought an important issue to the agenda regarding the labor that needs to be recognized behind the scenes of Azerbaijani cinema.