Up until last year, film historians thought the first movie produced in Azerbaijan dated back to 1916 with Svetlov's movie, "In the Realm of Oil and Millions".Then Aydin Kazimzadeh discovered a small newspaper announcement in the archives of the Lenin Library in Moscow, providing evidence that film in Azerbaijan really dates back mearly 20 years earlier to 1898.Instead of being a latecomer to the fascinating world of cinematography, Azerbaijan was, indeed, among the first countries involved.Last year, Azerbaijan celebrated 80 years, of cinematography; next year, because of this new historical proof, they'll celebrate 100! When the Lumiere brothers of France premiered their first motion picture footage in Paris on December 28, 1895, little did they know how rapidly it world capture the imagination of the public and ignite a new age of photographic documentation. Nor did they know that their invention world usher in one of the most creative art forms ever known to mankind which wourld document, while at the same time shape, the history of mankind. It's not surprising that this apparatus soon showed up in Baku.At the turn of the 19th century, this bay town on the Caspian was producing more than 50 percent of the word's supply of oil.Just like today, the oil industry attracted foreigners eager to invest and to work.The service industry quickly followed on the heels of the oil industry. And so a Frenchman by the name of A.Mishon was among those entrepreneus who came and settled inBaku. A photographer and cameraman by profession, he is believed to have lived in Baku for more than 25 years where he set up a photo studio on Mikhailovsky street, now known as Aziz Aliyev street. A.Mishon became active in forming a scientific photo circle in Baku and became its secretary.From 1879 to 1905, he documented landscapes, episodes from oil extraction, the refining process, as well as the oil gushers eruptions and terrifying fires that broke out in the oil fields.Copies of his photos still exist today. In 1898, Mishon began shooting motion pictures that depicted everyday life in Baku.It was his intention to exhibit them in Paris, but prior to that, he organized a showing in Baku.The "Kaspi" newspaper announced his film on August 1, 1898. In read as folloows:"On Sunday, August 2, 1898, A.Mishon, will show some motion pictures that he has taken with a Lumiere movie camera and which has been improved by the engineer Jules Carpentier .These films of the Caucasus and Central Asia Have been prepared for the fothcoming International Paris Exhibition and will be presented only once in Baku at the V.I.Vasilyev-Vyatsky Circus Theatrer." "The following films will be shown:Fire fesulting from an oil gusher at Bibi-Heybat oil field, the departure ceremony of His Excellency Amir of Bukhara (now Uzbekistan) in the Grand Duke Alexei steamship, a folk dance of the Caucasus, and scenes from the comedy, "So, You Got Caught,' which was performed resntly in one of Baku's parks.For more detailed information, see the posters.The event starts at 21:00 (p.m.)." Needless to say, the event was an enormous success and Mishon repeated it on August 5, replacing the final two works with those showing life in Balakhany outside of Baku. Mishon's film obviously made an impact at the Paris Exhibition.They must have attracted more foreigners to the oil-booming town.Reference was made, rather jokingly to these films in a play entitled, "Oil Gisher", written by the Azerbaijani poet Abbas Sahhat(1874-1918) and staged in Baku.The hero of the play comments that when he saw the films at the Paris Exhibition, he immediately set about to come to Baku to find a job.But he complains that when he rrived, Balakhany which had seemed so beautiful in the film was in reality such a run-down place.In the play, he laments, "I came here, found a job, got a position. Bu, now, how am I supposed to live in the midst of all this dirt, dust, mud and fumes?" Mishon's footage still exists. "Folk Dance of Caucasus" was later used in a documentary and scenes from "Oil Gush Fire in Bibi- heybat" France in 1995, in a film commemorating the 100th anniversary of world cinema. Between 1907-1910, archival footage indicates that Mr.V.Amashukeli, one of the founders of the Georgian cinematography, prodused footage dealing with life in Baku "Types of Baku Markets", "Stolling along the Seashore" and "Work on Oil Rigs." In 1915 the Pirone btothers of Belgium ser up a film production laboratory in Baku.They invited film director Svetlov from St.Petersburg to work for them and prodused "The Woman", "An Hour before His Dearth" and "An old Story in a New Manner." It was Svetlov who who also directed the film entitled "In the Realm of Oil and Millions" which later became so well known. The famous Azerbaijani actor H.Arablinski played Lutfali, the main role in this film. In 1917, a documentary entitled "National Freedom Holiday in Baku" was made.The film includes footage taken of the central square of Baku, its streeets, avenues, parks and the seashore. In 1919 during the short- lived independence of the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, a documentary called "The First Anniversary of the Musavat Power in Azerbaijan" was made.Filmed on Azerbaijan's Independence Day, May 28, this chronicle premiered in June at sveral cinema houses such as "Express","Record" and "Forum". The first version of the operetta "Arshyn Mal Alan" was directed by Svetlov in 1916. Since this was still the era of "silent" film, the musical selections had to be performed by in-house musicians.Furthermore, as this was still early in the era of theater, two of the women's roles in the film were played by men.Gulchohra was played by Ahmad Aghdamski and Aunt Jahan was played by Russians, not Azerbaijanis, who at that time mostly remained traditionally secluded and velied.A.Olenskaya played Asya and Y.Olenskaya played Telli. Despite their efforts, the quality of the film did not saisfy Uzeyir Hajybayov, who had written the original operetta(1910).However, the audience watched with great intereset.At article in the "Sovgat"(Present) newspaper on January 17, 1917, noted that it would have been much easier to have found a ticker for a Shalyapin concert than for this film. A second version of "Arshyn Mal Alan" wasa prodused in 1917 by G.Belyakov from St.Petersburg.Belyakov did not ask U.Hajybeyov's permission to make a film.Not were there any backdrops or stage settings. All the scenes were filmed in cortrayrds of houses and in the "Forum" cinema house.The only backdrop that Belyakov used was carpets which he thought made the film distinctly Azerbaijuani.All the actors were amaly Azerbaijani.As the quality of the film ended up being so poor, Hajibeyov eventuallly managed to pull it out of circulatioun. Despite all these simple beginnings, cinema had taken roor.There were no film studios in the beginning.Not was there any systematic cinematic technique.Nevertheless, it's evident that people were passionately enthusiastic about film from its earliest beginning. After the Soviet power was established in 1920, N.Narimanov,Chairmanan of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, singed a decree nattionalizing Azerbaijan's cinema.The People's Education Commissariat, which functioned somewhat like a Miknistry, created an art department which included a film section headed by H.Teregulov and M.Magomayev, a notable composer and opera singer.In 1922 the government of Azerbaijan decided to create the first cinema factory which became the forerunner of today's film studio "Azerbaijanfilm." In 1923 the Azerbaijan Photo Film Institution(APFI) was established by a special decree of the Council of People's Commissars.The Institution controlled all the movie houses and distribution bureaus.The institute was built on the premises of what had been a fashionable restaurant."The Renaissanse", prior to the Revolution.It opened on April 28, 1923. And thus, a new epoch in the history of Azerbaijani cinema began- a period when Soviet ideology, not individual entrepreneur - ship, dominated the film industry. Now more than 70 years later, Azerbaijani filmmakers are again dealing with issues similar to those fased by cinematographers prior to the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1920 Once again, both choice of content and sponsrship of films are largely left up to the initiative of the filmmaker.