Facade смотреть онлайн

“The neighborhood was one large family… Sovetski was always strong, and that’s why they want to break us.”

In the center of Baku’s rapidly changing cityscape lies Sovetski, a historic neighborhood that was once home to the booming city’s oil workers and their families. Over the course of the 19th and 20th century, Sovetski developed its own distinct identity. Self-proclaimed as 'old Baku', the residents of the neighborhood have had their ups and downs; they have witnessed political upheavals, the rise and fall of various “-isms,” and economic stagnation, but they always had a close-knit community to fall back on.

Now however, the residents of Sovetski face an uncertain future as their neighborhood has been the site of a municipal-led beautification project that will replace their labyrinthine alleys, homes and shops, and places of worship with a public park. Over the course of the last three years they have resisted through protests and demonstrations, but the bulldozers have been relentless. As of Autumn of 2017, the heart of the neighborhood has already been demolished, and new sections have been marked for demolition for the coming years. Facade is a documentary about this process.

As part of Ajam’s Mehelle project, Facade is the result of a collaboration with a number of Azerbaijani filmmakers, journalists, urban activists, and Sovetski residents. If you are interested in the lived experiences of the people of Sovetski, check out the digital map below featuring 360 video, music, and other forms of media."

https://ajammc.com/mehelle/