International Filmmor Women's Film Festival announced that the Governorship of Istanbul banned on Saturday the planned screening of an Armenian-Iranian movie titled ‘Yeva’ over emergency rule and security concerns.
Melek Özman from Filmmor told Bianet that the Consulate of Azerbaijan first sent an official letter to French Instute, the venue of the Festival, and asked them to cancel the screening. “Later, they applied to Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they even applied to the Minister,' said Özman.
Eventually they received a written order from Turkish authorities banning the screening.
According to Azerbaijan government, the movie creates the perception that Karabakh is an Armenian territory. The region of Nagorno-Karabakh is the subject of an unresolved dispute between Azerbaijan, in which it lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, backed by neighbouring Armenia.
Filmed by Armenian-Iranian director Anahit Abad, Yeva is about a woman, who escapes her influential in-laws with her daughter Nareh, after her husband’s death and takes refuge in one of the villages of Karabakh, Armenia, where she has to live in disguise.
The film was submitted this year by the Armenian National Film Academy for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards.