The world premiere of the historical epic 'Amir Temur' was held on April 2. The film about the life of the military leader during a period of political instability is being shown in cinemas in over 120 countries. According to the creators, the film is a commercial project, with no funding taken from the state budget.

A closed premiere of the film 'Amir Temur', produced by American creators, took place on March 27 at the Cinematica cinema in Tashkent. Gazeta correspondent Mirolim Isajonov participated and interviewed the film's creators. The film, rated 16+, focuses on events in the mid-14th century—a period of political instability in the Great Silk Road region after the collapse of the Mongol Empire. The plot centers on young Temur, who, after being wounded and suffering personal losses, begins a struggle for power.

The project was implemented by the international production company Mystery Box in collaboration with 7SABER and BWG Production. Executive producer and co-writer Behruz Hamzayev stated that the film was shot over six years. In writing the script, we relied on the 1892 English version of 'The Institutes of Timur' brought from Delhi. 80% of the script was written based on this book.

Hamzayev emphasized that not a single cent from the state budget was spent on the film; it is a 100% commercial project. Filming took place in Khiva, the ruins of Tuproqqal'a, and Kazakhstan. The team deliberately avoided studios and computer graphics—shooting was conducted exclusively on location. About 530 people worked on set daily. For example, due to a shortage of trained horses in Uzbekistan, large-scale battle scenes were filmed in Kazakhstan.

Actor Christian Mortensen, who played the role of Temur, lived in Khorezm for a year, learning the Uzbek language, combat methods, and equestrian arts of the people. He even converted to Islam and performed the five daily prayers. The film includes a scene where he prays. In my view, this film is the first picture produced in cooperation between Uzbekistan and the US. Therefore, a special premiere overseas is planned soon.

Director Jacob Schwartz said that in 2019, when he first came to Uzbekistan, he saw statues of Temur in Tashkent and several cities. This sparked my interest in making a film. When I read sources about Temur, I was amazed that I knew nothing about him until then. We tried to bring as much cultural diversity into the film as possible, involving more Uzbeks and Kazakhs.

Actress Yulduz Rajabova, who played the role of Temur's wife Uljay Turkan Agha, mentioned that auditions were held among actresses for this role. The video audition was in English, which was a bit difficult for me. During preparation for the series 'Mendirman Jaloliddin' over 5 months, I trained in swordsmanship and martial arts. Those rehearsals helped me a lot.

Joshua Jo, who played the role of Ilyas-Khoja Khan, is originally from South Korea and now lives in London. He recalled his first days in Uzbekistan with great warmth. One day, 65-year-old Uzbek actor Ma'ruf Otajanov cooked pilaf for a team of 30 people. The next morning, I addressed him as 'sir,' and he replied, 'No need, sir, call me father.'

Mahesh Jadu, who played the role of Amir Hussein, noted that any role requires one thing: you must find the 'truth' of the character you are portraying. The film features very beautiful landscapes and characters. This is the result of six years of work by the team. I hope the film instills pride in viewers.

Source: www.gazeta.uz