The feature film "Ependi" will be released in May this year. Currently, work is underway at the "Turkmenfilm" Association named after Oguzhan to edit the filmed material.
The film is about the main character of Eastern anecdotes and humorous stories and is shot not in a comedic genre, but in a biographical genre. The film's characters are placed in the XIII century on ancient streets and bazaars, where spread the first anecdotes about a cheerful and wise traveler who moves around cities and villages on a donkey. One of the anecdotes tells the following story:
"Once, Hodja Nasreddin, known in Turkmen folklore as Ependi, lost his donkey at the bazaar. The witty man announced in public that he would give the animal to the one who founded the loss. People were surprised by such a statement. What is the point of searching if they will give away the donkey anyway? Ependi replied that he wanted to experience the joy of finding, not possessing."
New legends of Ependi's adventures in the world were born from such simple stories passed down from mouth to mouth. In order to emphasize the authenticity of the era and the warm atmosphere of the hospitable East, the film crew chose the locations of Mary, Dashoguz and Lebap regions. The filming also took place in Baharden.
Myrat Orazov, director of the film, assembled a magnificent cast consisting of well-known actors of theater and cinema in our country. Among them are People's Artists of Turkmenistan, Chary Seytliev, Ovez Gelenov and others. The main role of Molla Ependi was played by non-professional actor Kemal Orazov. His distinctive appearance was suitable for recreating an authentic and truthful character.
It is worth noting that in 2022, the nomination "The Telling Tradition of Molla Ependi Anecdotes" from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan was inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Therefore, projects to launch film productions about this unique character of the Turkic world are planned in the aforementioned countries.
Currently, the preparatory stage of the film "Hodja Nasreddin" has started in Turkey. In spring of this year, the Turkish film crew will visit Turkmenistan for research work.
In turn, representatives of the "Turkmenfilm" Association named after Oguzhan announce that the new film "Ependi" is planned to be presented at the "Gorkut Ata" film festival scheduled in Turkmenistan in November 2024.
