Filming of cross-border love affair moves to Istanbul

Starring Adam Bakri and Maria Valverde in leading roles, "Ali and Nino" has just started filming in Istanbul following eight-weeks of shooting in Azerbaijan. Adapted from the German namesake novel by an author under the pseudonym Kurban Said, the epic film is directed by the winner of British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award-winner Asif Kapadia, who is known for his productions such as "The Warrior" and "Senna." The film's script was written by Academy Award-winner Christopher Hampton, the screenwriter of "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Atonement."

Set in the 20th century, Ali Khan (Adam Bakri) and Nino Kipiani (Maria Valverde) live in Baku, the cosmopolitan and oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan. The film describes the city as the meeting point of different cultures. Ali is a Muslim Azerbaijani boy reflecting the soul of his warrior ancestors, while Nino is a sophisticated Christian Georgian girl with a European cultural background. The two have loved each other since their childhood and Ali is determined to marry her even they come from different worlds. However, they not only need the consent of their families and deal with the problem of coming from different religious backgrounds, but find themselves in war. World War I breaks out and the city's oil resources become targeted by Russia. The war vehemently continues and Azerbaijan struggles for its independence. "Ali and Nino" has an international cast including Turkish actor Halit Ergenç from "Binbir Gece" (1001 Nights) and "Muhteşem Yüzyıl" (Magnificent Century); Mandy Patinkin from "Homeland," "Criminal Minds" and "The Princess Bride;" Connie Nielsen from "Nymphomaniac" and "Gladiator;" Riccardo Scamarcio from "Loose Cannons" and "My Brother is an Only Child;" Homayoun Ershadi from "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Kite Runner;" Fakhraddin Manafov from "Try Not to Breathe," "Good Bye and "Southern City" and Assaad Bouab from "Days of Glory" and "Whatever Lola Wants." Having starred in American TV series "Homeland" and Turkish TV series and films such as "Senden Bana Kalan" (What is Left to me from You) Numan Acar and Ekin Koç are the two other Turkish actors in the cast.

The novel "Ali and Nino" is considered a significant work of 20th century literature. It was translated from the original German into 33 languages and published 100 times following its first release in 1937. Produced by Kris Thykier, the film's executive producer is Leyla Aliyeva and IM Global will handle international sales. Thykier said in a statement that they are happy to start the shooting in Istanbul and work with the Istanbul-based production company AZ Celtic Films from the very beginning. "We are also happy to work with Ekin Koç and Halit Ergenç. We are lucky that they have professional acting talent at international standards," he added.

Gathering a first-class creative and production team, the film's producer designer is Carlos Conti from "On the Road," "The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries;" screen director is Gökhan Tiryaki from "Winter Sleep;" costume designer is Michele Clapton from "Game of Thrones" and the editor is Alexander Berner from "Jupiter Ascending," "Cloud Atlas" and "The Debt."