Luna Papa

Tajikistan born, Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov firstly started with practice and only after with theory studies in film. In 1982, yet very young he started to work as a journalist or assistant director for TV and radio and Tadjikfilm Studios. Only later he decided to take the film education at the VGIK (Moscow State Film Institute). During his studies he demonstrated his talent in short film “Jokers / Shutniki” (1986), documentary “Hunting with Dogs / Sobachija Okhota” (1987) followed by another short “Believe It or Not / Verish Nje Verish” in 1988. After the graduation in 1989, he started to work together with Leonid Makhkamov on the script for his first feature film “Bratan”, which he completed as a director in 1991. This film won him several awards in International film festivals mainly in Europe. Collaboration with Leonid Makhkamov continued also for the second film “Kosh ba kosh” (1993), which won him the Silver Lion in Venice in 1993. On scenario for his third film “Luna Papa” (1999), he worked with Georgian filmmaker Irakli Kvirikadze. The film, narrated from future perspective by the unborn child, tells the story of 17-year-old girl living in the deserts of Tajikistan, who spending a night with a traveling theater group becomes pregnant, which leads her to search the world for the father. This film gained him again the recognition on many international festivals, including Tokyo and Brussel, and won main Russian national award – Nika Awar, for best director. His success continued with “The Suit / Shik” (2003), the heart-warming story of three young friends, who wish to own a suit. For this film was nominated for Nika Award and won Tokyo FF in 2003. Since 1993 he started to live and work in Berlin. —Seagull Films