2024-04-10 05:59:33
On the Small Stage named after Mustafa Mardanov of the Union of Theater Workers of Azerbaijan (STDA) in Baku, the premiere performance of a solo performance based on Elena Erpyleva’s play “Monologue on American Jazz” took place.
The production director of the play was Farida Nesterenko, and the main role was played by Lala Akhundova.
Lala Akhundova was born and raised in Baku. She graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of Baku State University, then continued her education at MGIMO, she is a candidate of political sciences. However, realizing that she had connected her life with the wrong profession, she went into art. Akhundova is the director of several feature films and documentaries, a laureate of international film festivals.
In a conversation with a Trend Life correspondent, Lala Akhundova spoke about her role in a one-woman show, working in cinema and choosing a profession, Day.Az reports.
– Lala Khanum, congratulations on the premiere. Judging by the reaction of the audience, we can say that the performance left a positive response in their hearts. How did you feel after the premiere?
“I was terribly nervous, but I can’t see myself from the outside.” But the director (approx. – Farida Nesterenko) said that she was pleased, there were emotions, and indeed, the viewer was imbued with this story. After the screening, some guests said that they both shed tears and laughed while watching. For me this is important, it means it worked out. We went to this premiere for a long time – we rehearsed a lot, analyzed the text, it is also difficult, although it is modern.
– I found the play and initially showed it to a great friend of our family, Valentina Musaevna Reznikova (author’s note – Honored Cultural Worker, Deputy Director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater). She liked the piece too. Since my main profession is a director, I decided to stage the play myself and act myself. However, Valentina Musaevna asked what I wanted more. She convinced me, saying that it is very difficult to perform in two guises. I agreed, because when you stage it yourself, you don’t see yourself from the outside. But I needed an outside perspective. Valentina Musaevna introduced me to Farida Khanum. We found a common language very quickly and worked on the play for three months.
Then we started looking for a stage where we could hold the show. We decided to contact Gadzhi muallim (author’s note – acting chairman of STDA, People’s Artist Gadzhi Ismailov) so that he would provide us with the Small Hall of STDA. Haji muallim responded immediately, for which we are deeply grateful.
– Tell me, this is not your first work on the theater stage as an actress?
– In fact, this is the first serious work in the theater. Yes, she played the Countess de San-Fonds in A. Droznin’s play “Marquise de Sade” (Moscow, 2002). But still, it was a training production, an experimental acting workshop. But the role in the play “Monologue on American Jazz” is the first professional theater acting work, so, of course, it is very responsible.
– Your heroine is a strong, independent, but lonely woman. Tell me, can you draw any parallels with your life?
– A feeling of depression, yes, I know what it is when nothing makes you happy, you lose your zest for life. But in all other respects I am a completely different person. That is, she is strong and independent, I am also independent, but not so strong. I’m afraid that in my life I was not able to achieve what she achieved, although it’s a sin to complain, I had interesting jobs, and my films won prizes.
And another difference with my heroine is my mother. For me it’s completely different, but the part of the monologue related to my mother was the hardest for me. Her mom is such a badass, the exact opposite of mine.
At first, when reading the play, for some reason I had the feeling that the heroine was me. Then it seemed to me that we were similar. But then, when they began to analyze the material with Farida Khanum, it turned out that the main character was a completely different person…
– They say that a one-man show is the most difficult genre for an actor. Do you agree with this?
– Indeed, very heavy. I will say this, if I had initially known how much effort it would require, how difficult it would be, maybe I would not have taken on this play. At some moments I just hit the wall, especially in the passage with the same mother. Therefore, this is a kind of experiment. Although it’s not even an experiment, but an adventure. After all, actors come to one-man performances when they have already gained some experience in the theater, and this is somewhere in the final stage. A one-man show is like a benefit performance.
– Lala Khanum, let’s talk about your activities as a film director. What are you working on now?
– I am planning to make a feature-length feature film. This is also an independent story that you can film with your own resources. By the way, there is an image there that I would like to embody. In general, in my creative baggage I have both documentaries and feature films, but I have only shot full-length documentaries. Most likely I will film in Moscow, there are people there who can help me, with whom I have already worked on several films.
– What do you think about equal rights for men and women in directing? Do stereotypes exist nowadays?
– Not anymore… There are so many women directors that now there is no longer such a problem. There are a lot of women directors who are extremely successful in their profession; they are not afraid to be trusted with major film projects.
– Your films have participated in festivals and won prestigious awards. How important is participation in such film forums for promoting a film?
– It’s important, because if the film is non-commercial, then you can present it to a wide audience, to experts, only at the festival. That is, in fact, only at the festival can this work be appreciated. Where else to show it? You won’t go to the cinema; most likely they won’t agree to release a non-commercial film; the festival is the only platform where the public can see the film.
And it is also important for the director to understand what is right and what is wrong. And if in the end the film wins a prize, the director understands that he is on the right path.
– Who writes the scripts for your films?
– I wrote the scripts for all my films myself. I’ve never had the experience of working with an outside screenwriter before. It’s easier for me than to look for someone, to explain to him what I want, it’s better to do it myself.
– Let’s go back to the performance, it begins and ends with jazz music. How do you relax, what music do you listen to?
– I’m a movie buff, so I like to watch good movies. I listen to music sometimes, by the way, yes, also jazz. I was brought up on jazz, my dad loved this music very much. Also in my documentary “City of Light” there is jazz music, the composer was Salman Gambarov, our famous jazzman (author’s note – People’s Artist of Azerbaijan). I also really like going to the theater; I watched all the productions at the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre; in Moscow I visit various theater venues.
– You graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of Baku State University, then graduate school at MGIMO, you are a candidate of political sciences. Tell me, have you ever regretted that you devoted your life to a creative profession?
– Never. My classmates have achieved great success in their careers. One friend is an ambassador, another classmate works in a large industry. They have achieved a lot, but I wouldn’t want to be in their place, because it’s just not my thing…
Lala Akhundova born and raised in Baku. In 1997 she graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of Baku State University, in 2000 – graduate school at MGIMO. Candidate of Political Sciences. From 2002 to 2004 she studied in the workshop of V. Khotinenko, P. Finn and V. Fenchenko at the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors (VKSR) in Moscow (Russia), where in 2006 she defended her diploma feature film “Friend” (the film is a prize-winner of the series international film festivals).
Akhundova is the director of several fiction and documentary films, a laureate of international film festivals. She made her debut as a film actress in the fictional television series “The Truth of the Moment” directed by People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Ramiz Fataliyev (Baku, 2002). Other significant acting works include the role of the mother in the short feature film “Family”, which received the prize of the international festival of films about human rights “Stalker” (2003). The latest directorial work is the full-length documentary film “One Day in the Life of a Director” about the main director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater, People’s Artist Alexander Sharovsky (2023).
The one-woman show “Monologue on American Jazz” is Lala Akhundova’s first serious acting work on the theater stage.
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