«First Attempt in History of Crimean Tatar People to Shot a Full-Scale Film about Tragedy of 1944,» – Refat Chubarov

04 October 2012

As reported, the shooting of the first Crimean Tatar film, titled “Haytarma” (Return) in the history of the independent Ukraine started in early October in Bakhchisaray. The film will tell about the life of the legendary pilot, Two-times Hero of the Soviet Union Amet-Khane Sultan and forcible deportation of the Crimean Tatar people from their historical Homeland – Crimea.

The chief-director of the film is a well-known in Ukraine actor and director Ahtem Seytablaev. The 90 minutes long film to be shot within less than a month.

On October 3, 2012 the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev, his First Deputy Refat Chubarov, the founder of the first independent Crimean Tatar channel ATR Lenur Islyamov, acting as the film’s producer, as well as the Director General of “ТК”Atlant-SV” LTD Elzara Islyamova and the historical adviser of the film, the author and host of the program “Tarih Sedasi” Gulnara Bekirova visited the shooting area.

“First in history of Crimean Tatar people an attempt was made to shot a full-scale film,”- Refat Chubarov said about the film “Haytarma”. It is a pleasing fact that the authors of the scenario and the whole film’s collective are trying to show the whole essence of the tragedy that fell on the Crimean Tatar people in 1944 through the destiny of the one of the brightest representatives of the Crimean Tatar people Amet-Khan Sultan. In fact, this film is not about Amet-Khan Sultan, but rather to show the destiny and history of the whole people and to demonstrate its undefeated power to its revival on its native land”.

On October 3, 2012 the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev, his First Deputy Refat Chubarov, the founder of the first independent Crimean Tatar channel ATR Lenur Islyamov, acting as the film’s producer, as well as the Director General of “ТК”Atlant-SV” LTD Elzara Islyamova and the historical adviser of the film, the author and host of the program “Tarih Sedasi” Gulnara Bekirova visited the shooting area.

 “First in history of Crimean Tatar people an attempt was made to shot a full-scale film,”- Refat Chubarov said about the film “Haytarma”. It is a pleasing fact that the authors of the scenario and the whole film’s collective are trying to show the whole essence of the tragedy that fell on the Crimean Tatar people in 1944 through the destiny of the one of the brightest representatives of the Crimean Tatar people Amet-Khan Sultan. In fact, this film is not about Amet-Khan Sultan, but rather to show the destiny and history of the whole people and to demonstrate its undefeated power to its revival on its native land”.

“The history is really made before our own eyes,”- Gulnara Bekirova shares her opinion about the beginning of shooting of “Haytarma”. According to the historical advisor of the film it isn’t a bibliographical film, but rather the authors of the film to tell about the depth of the tragedy of the whole people through the life story of one outstanding and brave Crimean Tatar called Amet-Khan Sultan.

The film’s director and at the same time playing the main character Ahtem Seytablaev thanked all participants of the process for their contribution to the creation of the fist Crimean Tatar feature film.

According to the director this film is an implementation of his great wish. He has invited everyone who wanted to be shot in walk-on parts, but give advance notice that the shootings will take place at night.

 “We will be happy to see everyone, because it will be a great help in creation of the first Crimean Tatar film. I think that it is also a great help to ourselves to recreate the history,”- A. Seytablaev thinks.

The military vehicles were brought specially from Sevastopol – motorbike of 1941 and a legendary truck ZIS-5 that went through the war. The decorators created the exact copy of the airplane of Two-times Hero. It was made of metal and plywood, but weights two times less its original – 1 ton.

Reference: The story develops against a background of the WW2. According to the director’s plot the picture describes the tragedy of the Crimean Tatar people – deportation. The main character is Two-times Hero of the Soviet Union Amet-Khane Sultan, played by the film’s director Ahtem Seytablaev.

The film is shot by the experts. Many of them came from Kyiv. It will be shot by two young but experienced cameramen. One of them – Vladimir Ivanov was awarded the Golden Palm in Cannes for a short film.