# Shahmar Alakbarov

Shahmar Zulfugar oglu Alakbarov (Azerbaijani: Şahmar Ələkbərov; (August 23, 1943, Kirovabad – August 12, 1992, Baku) was an Azerbaijani actor, screenwriter, voice actor, narrator, director, and People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1989). He was also a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1978.
His first appearance in theater was in William Shakespeare's "Lope de Vega" play. After his success in the play "Ulduzlar", he gained the admiration of a wide audience. His first role on screen was in the film "Dağlarda döyüş", and his last was "Yük". Although he did not live to see the film's premiere, it was based on a script written by Shahmar Alakbarov and focused on the Baku millionaire Agha Musa Naghiyev. The film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival. He worked as both an actor and director at the "Azerbaijanfilm" film studio. After completing his education, he remained at the university as a teaching assistant. Shahmar Alakbarov was also active in the field of television and radio. His first appearance on radio was as the host of the "Ulduz" program. Additionally, he created memorable characters in dozens of television performances. He was the host of the "Molla Nasraddin" radio show and participated in the dubbing of many films. His close ones referred to Shahmar Alakbarov as the "canlı trio."

## Biography
### Early years

Shahmar Alakbarov was born on August 23, 1943, in Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Zulfugar Alakbarov who was from Cəbrayil and Izulat khanum who was from Tbilisi. When Shahmar was 9 years old, his family moved from Ganja to Baku. He finished secondary school at the age of 15. At home, he mentioned that he would apply to the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the State University, but as it turned out, he did not, which made his mother, Izulet Alakbarova, very upset. Izulet was one of the first graduates of the newly established pedagogical technical school in Azerbaijan and did not want her son to pursue a career on stage.
His wife was the theater scholar Kamila Alakbarova. They had twin daughters, Izulat and Leman. Both of the twin daughters, Izulat and Leman Alakbarova, are married and have been living abroad for a long time. Izulat's husband, Fuad Isgandarov, is Azerbaijan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium and also the Head of Azerbaijan's Mission to the European Union.
Shahmar Alakbarov lived only 50 years, but during that time, he created many memorable roles and films. He studied acting in Rza Tahmasib's class at the Theater Institute and graduated from the Azerbaijan Institute of Arts in 1964. While still in his third year, he was hired by the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater. Later, the renowned artist Adil Isgandarov invited him to join the "film acting" studio that he had established at the film studio.

### Career

His acting career began with the film "Dağlarda döyüş". Despite having just graduated from the Institute of Arts, his passion for cinema brought him to the studio. He had also studied in Rza Tahmasib's class at the institute, which meant that Shahmar Alakbarov was already a seasoned actor, something clearly visible in his debut in "Dağlarda döyüş". The film, directed by Kamil Rustambayov in 1967, was based on the script written by the late writer-journalist Ahmadaga Gurbanov, adapted from his novella "Tikanlı məftillər". Shahmar Alakbarov's character was a private serving in the border troops. The film had an intriguing adventure plot. Farrukh, the character played by Shahmar, follows the trail of someone who crossed the border illegally. After overcoming great challenges, Farrukh captures him, only to discover that this man is his own father, who had fled the homeland during the war. His first role, first challenge, and first test—all of these were successfully accomplished in Shahmar's fate, and his character Farrukh's distinctive traits were crafted with artistic precision, a testament to the actor's skill.Yes, with the role of the border guard, the boundaries of his creative space began, and this boundary extended through a long and turbulent journey, culminating in the film "Qəzəlxan", which he completed as a director.
In Shahmar Alakbarov's creative biography, there are films that stand among the most valuable examples of our national spiritual values. The reason for this is that these films, based on our national and spiritual values, vividly reflect the atmosphere of certain periods of our history. In his body of work, the character of Mazahir holds a special place. The character of Mazahir, the simple and sincere young man from the film "Mən ki, gözəl deyildim", seemed tailor-made for Shahmar Alakbarov's personality. Without relying on any improvisation, the actor conveyed the inner world of this simple driver and his relationships with those around him through vibrant details. Mazahir stands out with his optimistic nature among the protagonists of this lyrical-dramatic film, which depicts events in a remote mountain village during the difficult days of the war. He represented a new type of character in Azerbaijani cinema. His cheerful spirit lightened the heavy, tragic tone of the film. Always laughing and joking, Mazahir seemed to want to ease the pain of the war that had taken hold of people's hearts. There was a sincere quality to his love as well. The film was directed by Tofiq Tagizadeh. In general, Shahmar Alakbarov appeared in very few of Tagizadeh’s films. Besides "Mən ki, gözəl deyildim", he also played an interesting role in "Qızılqaz". Both films featured memorable characters.

### As a Director

The desire to make an independent film never left him. He had also fallen ill, and the health issues he faced no longer allowed him to work as an actor. Thus, he decided to work as a director, and for the first time, he co-directed the film "Imtahan" with Gulbeniz Azimzade. Shahmar Alakbarov worked on this socially motivated film with great enthusiasm. Everything was familiar to him: the camera, the work of the operators, the set designs, and, of course, the acting, which was his profession. However, he still had some concerns. The script was written by Anar, based on his novella "Şəhərin yay günləri". Yet, working with Gulbeniz Azimzade felt so smooth that it seemed as though he had been directing for many years.
When the film was released, all of his worries disappeared. Both the scriptwriter, Gulbeniz Azimzade, and the audience were pleased with the film. And this was exactly what Shahmar Alakbarov needed. Later, in 1989, Shahmar Alakbarov directed "Sahilsiz gecə" , based on Elchin's novella "Toyuğun diri qalması". At that time, although Shahmar Alakbarov was suffering from a terrible illness, he kept working. It was as if he was in a hurry. He completed the film in a very short time. However, when the film was finished, it faced serious controversy. The reason was that certain aspects of women’s lives during wartime were depicted. Women gathered in front of the studio, holding a protest, trying to get the film canceled. From the day the film was released, it sparked intense debates. Some individuals, who claimed to be "protecting Azerbaijani women," harshly criticized Shahmar Alakbarov's work. "Sahilsiz gecə" was shown only a few times before it disappeared from the screens for good. Even today, the film remains controversial. Shahmar Alakbarov's close friend and university classmate Tariyel Gasimov had this to say about the film.
   In Elchin's script, there was no role for me. It was the late Shahmar Alakbarov himself who added it to the script. He told me, 'You’ll participate in the film, and you’ll also get to see Riga.' The scene I was in was filmed in Riga. At that time, the late Shahmar was very ill and suffering greatly. But the film turned out beautifully. Although it was heavily criticized during the Soviet era.
People's Artist and the actress who played the role of Roza in the film, Nuriye Ahmadova, expressed her thoughts as follows:
   "Once, Shahmar called me and said, 'Don’t come to the film studio, the place is packed with people, they might kill you.' It turned out that women had gathered in the studio's courtyard, protesting and shouting. Later, it became known that Armenians working in the film studio also had a hand in organizing this protest. In reality, there was nothing in the film that deserved such outrage. It simply depicted the circumstances women found themselves in during wartime. It showed that the war, against their will, drove women into prostitution. At that time, making a film on such a topic was a difficult task. Unfortunately, that masterpiece of a film was left without any support."
Honored Artist Mehriban Khanlarova shared her thoughts:
   "When the film was released, it sparked some protests. At that time, although Shahmar Alakbarov was seriously ill, he didn’t pay much attention to such things. He approached everything very professionally and would say that such things happen. There were even rumors that I was beaten up after the film, which is completely false. But to this day, I am happy to have been part of "Sahilsiz gecə", because I had the opportunity to work with someone like Shahmar Alakbarov."
However, Shahmar Alakbarov communicated with everyone so beautifully that everything came to a peaceful resolution in the end.
The film indeed contained very serious social themes. Yes, war brings tragedies to people in every circumstance. It leaves families without heads and makes destinies unfortunate, just like the protagonist Zibeyda in the film. For this role, the director invited Oguldurdu Mammadguliyeva from Turkmenistan. "Sahilsiz gecə" was Shahmar’s first independent project. He approached every frame with great care and was cautious during the editing process as well. Fortunately, everything turned out successfully, and the film generated a wide response. However, Shahmar Alakbarov couldn’t fully enjoy the success. He was ill and needed surgery on his jawbone. Although the positive reception of "Sahilsiz gecə" brought some relief to his suffering body, it was only temporary. He had to go to Germany for surgery. Fortunately, the surgery went well.
He wanted to fulfill a long-held dream in his heart — to create a screen portrayal of the famous poet Aliagha Vahid. One day, Shahmar Alakbarov began working on "Qəzəlxan" based on his own script. It was 1990. He was working in poor health, as if he was in a hurry once again. He invited young actor Logman Karimov for the lead role. The filming proceeded without interruption, and everything was going according to plan. When the film was completed, it became apparent that there was a lot of material. Shahmar Alakbarov decided to split the film into two parts. In 1991, the film was released. "Qəzəlxan" portrayed various moments from the life and work of Azerbaijani poet Aliagha Vahid. The film also vividly reflected the traditions of the Baku villages and the literary environment of the 20th century. Unfortunately, Shahmar Alakbarov did not live to see the fate of the film on screen. Cruel death took him away from cinema. In 1992, Shahmar Alakbarov’s life merged with eternity. He had many dreams. He had written a script that he wanted to direct himself, dedicated to the famous Baku millionaire Agha Musa Nagiyev. Although Shahmar passed away, the script was brought to life. Director Rovshan Almuradli filmed it in 1995.

### As an actor

Some of Shahmar Alakbarov's roles include: Gazanfar in "My Seven Sons", Son in "Intizar", Iman in "The Last Pass", Arifin "Life Tests Us", Rizvan in "Qızılqaz", one of the boys in "The Boys of Our Street", Azad in "Winds Blow in Baku", Ghatir Mammad in "Ghatir Mammad", Feyzi in "Firangiz", Gunduz Karimli in "The Blow from Behind', Cavidan in "Babak", Nuru in "A Strange Man", Tahir in "Wait for Me", Khalig in "The Old, The Old", Jumshud in "When August Comes", and Ibrahim in "Saddle the Horses". These characters are all distinct, representing people with different personalities and worldviews. However, what unites them is Shahmar Alakbarov's acting talent, his beautiful performance style, and his immense love for his craft.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film "My Seven Sons" is when Qagan embraces the wounded Gazanfar, crying out, "Don’t die, Uncle Gazanfar, don’t die!" It is a rare moment in cinema where, even in the face of death, the actor manages to pull the audience away from tragedy and bring a smile to their faces. Shahmar Alakbarov had the ability to do this, a quality not common to every actor.
Shahmar Alakbarov also wanted to express himself as a director in cinema. Once, he took a script to the studio director, Adil Isgandarov, and said, "Adil teacher, I want to make a film." Adil Isgandarov responded by saying, "You have such a beautiful suit." Approaching him and touching the fabric of the suit, he added, "It has such fine material, let’s make another one for me." This was a way of saying that Shahmar Alakbarov was ready to begin his career as a director.

### Death

Shahmar Alakbarov endured a seven-year struggle with a painful illness. It began during the filming of *Firangiz*, when his tongue was injured by a dentist and later developed into an ulcer due to a cold he caught during filming. Shahmar Alakbarov bravely endured complex treatment therapies and the complications of his illness. He was a man of great willpower. In the winter of 1992, his family took him to Hamburg for treatment, but no cure was found there.
Upon returning to Baku, Shahmar Alakbarov was admitted to the hospital. His wife, Kamilla Alakbarova, and his twin daughters, Izulat and Leman, stayed with him in the hospital. After a long period of suffering, the film figure and People's Artist Shahmar Alakbarov passed away on August 12, 1992, at the age of 48, due to tongue cancer.

## Heritage

Shahmar Alakbarov was so caring and sincere that everyone who had a conversation with him would leave feeling pleased and would remember the joyful moments of that encounter for a long time. His optimism was a divine gift. He loved people, and this love was inherent in his nature. His cheerful, compassionate, and humane feelings were reflected in his art as well. His roles closely resembled him—whichever role you consider, it was just Shahmar standing there. He was close friends with Hasan Abluc and Tariyel Gasimov.

### Memory

In general, during his 20-year creative career, Shahmar Alakbarov worked with various directors. All of these creative "alliances" were very successful. He provided beautiful explanations about them in his writings titled "My Memories". However, life did not give him the opportunity to publish these writings as a book. They contained everything—not only Shahmar Alakbarov's biography but also a living chronicle of 20 years of Azerbaijani cinema.
A special issue of the newspaper "Kino" was dedicated to Shahmar Alakbarov. Published in 1994, this issue included many stories about him, and a portion of his memories about the making of the film "My Seven Sons" was also printed. As you read those memories, you can feel how deeply Shahmar Alakbarov loved this art, this nation, and this people. Perhaps the sweetness that permeated his roles stemmed from this love.
On July 17, 2018, his 75th anniversary was celebrated at the Museum Center, organized by the Azerbaijan State Film Fund.

## Awards

* Honorary title of "Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR" — December 23, 1976
* Honorary title of "People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR" — March 21, 1989
* Award for Best Feature Film — 1991