2026 marks the first time the event was expanded to welcome international guests, including a delegation from Viet Nam. The occasion also provided an opportunity for the two countries to deepen cultural cooperation through cinema while honouring the historical ties nurtured over generations.
For the Vietnamese film industry, the event in Baku held particular significance as it recalled the invaluable contributions of filmmaker Ajdar Ibrahimov, who was invited to Viet Nam by President Ho Chi Minh in 1959 to help train the country's first generation of film professionals during the formative years of revolutionary cinema.
Despite the hardships of wartime, Ibrahimov shared his expertise and filmmaking experience with Vietnamese colleagues, helping to nurture many outstanding artists and laying an important foundation for the development of the country's film industry in the decades that followed.
Speaking at the event, Le Thi Ha, Director of the Viet Nam Film Institute, said that although Viet Nam and Azerbaijan are geographically distant, the two countries have always enjoyed a relationship founded on sincerity and mutual trust. The friendship established many decades ago continues to serve as a strong foundation for expanding exchanges and cooperation in the field of cinema.
On the occasion, the Viet Nam Film Institute presented three classic works of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema in Baku: “Con chim vanh khuyen” (The Passerine Bird), “Hai nguoi linh va Mot ngay dau thu” (Two Soldiers), and “Mot ngay dau thu” (An Early Autumn Day). In addition, the book “Nhung gi toi thay o Viet Nam” (What I Saw in Viet Nam) by director Ajdar Ibrahimov, which offers Azerbaijani audiences deeper insight into his affection for the Vietnamese people and his lasting contributions to the country's revolutionary cinema, was also presented.
Reflecting on Ibrahimov's legacy, Le Thi Ha described it as a lasting symbol of the friendship between Viet Nam and Azerbaijan. The showcase of Vietnamese films alongside archival materials documenting the Azerbaijani director's life and career in Baku, she said, demonstrated Viet Nam's deep appreciation for one of its most cherished friends in cinema while helping preserve the shared historical memories of the two nations.
Following the screenings, many guests exchanged views with the Vietnamese delegation on Ajdar Ibrahimov's enduring legacy in Viet Nam and the prospects for future cooperation between the film institutions of the two countries. Ambassador Shovgi Mehdizada, together with Azerbaijani filmmakers and scholars, expressed appreciation for Viet Nam's continued efforts to preserve and promote Ibrahimov's legacy. According to the participants, the presentation of Vietnamese films in Baku, alongside the preservation of archival materials relating to the Azerbaijani director, stands as vivid testimony to the enduring friendship between the two countries.
