Filming is wrapping up in Kazakhstan for the historical movie "Molla Nasreddin: Friend of Hard Times," a joint project of cinematographers from six Turkic states, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, the crew has already worked in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The final scenes will be shot in the Almaty Region, Almaty, and Turkistan, including at the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
The project was initiated in 2023 at the 40th meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY in Shusha.
"Molla Nasreddin: Friend of Hard Times" is a full-length feature film created as part of cooperation among Turkic states. Through the image of the famous folklore hero, the film reveals the common cultural values, traditions, and worldview of the Turkic peoples. The film features Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Uzbek languages," the ministry said in a statement.
The director and screenwriter is Vagif Mustafayev, People's Artist of Azerbaijan.
The title role of Nasreddin Hodja is played by Sagyzbay Karabalin, Honored Artist of Kazakhstan. The cast also includes Konysbek Bekaidarov, Ondasyn Beksikbasov, and Akerke Arys.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Jackie Chan interrupted the filming of "Armour of God" in Kazakhstan. Filming had already taken place in the Mangystau and Almaty regions, as well as in Almaty. Apparently, Jackie Chan will return to the country, as the filming was planned to be completed in October.
It should be recalled that Kazakhstan was chosen as the main filming location. Only certain scenes will be shot in Azerbaijan.