The Man Who Gave Cinema Ismayil: In Memory of Jeyhun Mirzoyev

Today marks the 79th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding film actor and director Jeyhun Mirzoyev, who left an indelible mark on Azerbaijani cinema thanks to his unforgettable portrayal of Ismayil in the cult films "Stepmother" and "Wail".

J.Mirzoyev was born on April 9, 1946, in the village of Abdalgulably in the Agdam region. He graduated from the directing faculty of the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts, then studied in Moscow. Of his 48 years of life, about 35 were connected with the world of cinema. In the film "Meeting," in which Mirzoyev played the role of a boy named Shikhali, he was only 11 years old. At 12, he received an invitation to act in the film "Stepmother".

Jeyhun Mirzoyev worked as an assistant director for a long time, played various roles, and also directed films. In addition, he wrote plots for the satirical film journal "Mozalan" and was its artistic director.

The director had strong abilities in parody. It was he who reproduced the buzzing sound in the opening sequence of the film journal "Mozalan".

His last work was the film "Wail," the premiere of which the director was unable to attend. He felt unwell at the film studio during filming.

J.Mirzoyev died in 1993 from a heart attack.

For his role in the film "Wail," he was awarded the "Humay" prize by the International Cultural Society "Bakinets".