Latif Safarov

Directing

Born: September 30, 1920

Birthplace: Shusha, Elizavetpolskaya guberniya, Russian Empire [now Azerbaijan]

Latif Bashir oghlu Safarov (Azerbaijani: Lətif Səfərov) was an Azerbaijani actor and movie director. Safarov began his career in acting at a very young age. He starred in a number of children's movies released in 1927–1931 (Sevil, Latif, etc.). In 1939, he graduated from the Ganja School of Pedagogy. For the next two years was continued acting along as serving as an assistant director at the Baku Movie Studio (renamed to Azerbaijanfilm in 1960). In 1950, he graduated from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, receiving B.A. in Film Directing. The 1955 film Bakhtiyar (starring Rashid Behbudov) directed by Safarov was his most significant project. It was followed by two other well-known films, Under the Burning Sun (1957) and Leyli and Majnun (1962). In 1958, Safarov was elected head of the Azerbaijani Union of Cinematographers. He was granted the emeritous title of the Honorary Art Worker of Azerbaijan in 1960. In 1955, he married singer Shovkat Alakbarova. In 1963, Safarov committed suicide by shooting himself with a hunting rifle. At that time, he was working on his film project The Island of Miracles.