Tekbetek
Ismail Safarali
Green Garden Films
When 13 year old Agali’s classmate suddenly dies in the middle of a football game, he is forced to face a personal and public reckoning for his own role in the tragedy
AGALI (13) is a shy boy that lives in a village in the south of Azerbaijan. His only dream is to leave the village to become a professional footballer. During a football match Agali’s strike hits his classmate in the head and the boy dies. Agali cannot understand whether it’s his fault, but the locals seem to think it is. His best friend FARRUKH (14) have turned his back on Agali. Consumed by guilt, he tries to investigate the reason for the boy’s death. To his surprise, the only person that comes to his help is SAMIRA (45), mother of the boy killed during the match. Agali and Samira form a special yet volatile bond over a short period of time. Agali’s investigation leads him beyond the simple search for the culprit to question his own belonging to the tight-knit community that has been around him his whole life.
Director’s biography: Ismail Safarali / IMDb
ISMAIL SAFARALI was born in April 1978 in Baku, Azerbaijan. In September 2015 Ismail graduated with honors from the Moscow School of New Cinema (MSNC) with a Master’s degree in Filmmaking. Ismail has shot and produced four short films and a feature film, all premiered internationally. Produced by Russian Non-stop Productions, Ismail’s feature film THE FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER has been selected for the main program of the Moscow International Film Festival (2020) and sold internationally by Wild Bunch. Ismail currently resides in Paris.
Producer’s biography: Naila Safarali / IMDb
NAILA SAFARALI leads projects in Inclusion, Wellbeing, Women in Leadership, LGBT+, leadership and employee experience at Deloitte France and EMEA. She is a coach and a facilitator of one of the best rated Deloitte University Europe programs in high impact leadership.
Naila is passionate about art and photography, she has coached in creative industries, such as film, theater, dance and arts. She has acted in three short films. Along with her husband, writer and director Ismail Safarali she has established Green Garden Films production company that has been producing short films since 2014.
Where are we at?
Total estimated budget: 400.000 €
Finances pending: 150.000 €
Financing in place: 250.000 €
Production timeline
[Pre-production Stage] July 2021 - February 2022
Script development and funding July 2021 - October 2021
Script revision and script lock October 2021 - January 2022
Casting and location hunting September 2021 – February 2022
Equipment and staff hiring January 2022 – February 2022
[Production Stage] March 2022 – April 2022
Shooting March 2022 – April 2022
[Post Production Stage] May 2022 - October 2022
Editing and final cut May 2022 - August 2022
Color correction and telecine August 2022 - September 2022
Sound design and final mixing August 2022 - October 2022
Final version in screening format - November 2022
Theatrical Release Date: TBD
Looking for at CineLink?
We are looking for European co-producers (with particular interest in post-production support), distributors, sales agents and festival representatives
Director’s statement
TEKBETEK feature project is a revisit of the short film I have made in 2014 in the remote mountains of Azerbaijan.
The story of Agali is the story of self-discovery. His world is the world within itself, a body that is looking inward rather than outside and this is what I find fascinating – the self-containment, unspoken reservation, voluntary solitude.
Distance is another word that comes to mind. Distance from the mountainous village to the city and distance between those who choose the tried path and those striving for a new one.
I am lucky to have my short film as a reference for locations, aesthetics and the atmosphere. Just like the original short film, I would like to shoot Tekbetek on a modest budget with a small crew on an actual location after spending time with the locals who I will cast for all the roles in the film.
Producer’s statement
Making films in Azerbaijan is not easy. The industry is young and it takes much more time to get things done compared to other places. Following Ismail’s debut (shot on location in Azerbaijan), we have decided to produce through our own Green Garden Films to be able to execute full control over production issues, scheduling and pace of the shooting. We have successfully produced three short film in Azerbaijan, so we know what needs to be done to shoot on schedule and within budget. We also have extensive ties to local equipment rental companies, local administrations etc.
We are hoping to attract a European co-producer with whom we could apply to a variety of funding initiatives such as WCF Europe, Sor Fund/Sor Fund + and others. We would also be interested in attracting partners that could bring additional financing from their own countries, TV partners, and pre-sale opportunities, and I am also looking for European productions that can cover the post-production cycle.
Production company profile
GREEN GARDEN FILMS has been established in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2014 by the writer / director Ismail Safarali and international HR executive Naila Safarali. The company has so far produced four shorts films currently transitioning to a feature film production
Email: naila.safarali@gmail.com