Within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, a documentary film titled “Yaradan” dedicated to the revival of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur has been presented, APA reports.
The project and script author of the documentary film is Ayaz Mirzayev, chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists Network Public Union.
The documentary film reflected the main topics such as ensuring the sustainable living of people, which are the priorities of the World Urban Forum, the new urban planning philosophy and the establishment of the “Smart City” concept.
During the presentation, Ayaz Mirzayev stated that the film “Yaradan” represents the Azerbaijani people creating cities amid destruction: “The film we are presenting today is called ‘Yaradan.’ But this title does not carry a metaphysical meaning. ‘Yaradan’ here represents the Azerbaijani people who create and build cities out of destruction. Creative people are featured in the film. The main purpose of the film is to show that Azerbaijanis are a creative people. We have never been destructive. On the contrary, as creative people, within a very short time, in just five years, we rebuilt life in territories that had been devastated and where not a stone was left standing. We have practically created a small paradise and implemented the ‘Great Return’ process. People are already returning to those territories. The purpose of today’s presentation was also to convey this to forum participants in a simple and understandable language. Through human stories, we wanted to show what work has been done over these five years and what impressions the people relocating there have. The projects implemented in the liberated territories have been built in accordance with the principles of the World Urban Forum. It was our duty to present this process to the audience in artistic, journalistic and visual forms. In today’s world, many books and articles are published, but people form impressions more through videos. Our goal was precisely to prepare a film that creates such an impact.”
A. Mirzayev added that the film was shot in almost all of the territories liberated from occupation:
“It was produced in 2025 and dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the end of the Patriotic War. We were very pleased that foreign guests watched the film until the end during today’s presentation. They asked various questions. They were mostly interested in smart city technologies, new infrastructure and the use of solar panels. They asked whether these technologies are applied in every house. In the film, we also provided information about green zones, sustainable settlements and ecological approaches. But we showed this not as a classic presentation, but through the language of people and their stories. In the modern world, this approach is one of the most accepted and effective methods in the documentary film industry as well.”
