Watch Sholler's Archive
- 2018
- 1 hr 28 min
Sholler's Archive is a gripping drama that explores the themes of love, loss, memory, and history. The film is set in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the Second World War and centers around the story of a young Jewish boy named Yan Sholler and his family. As the war rages on and the Nazi regime intensifies its persecution of Jews, Yan's family is forced to flee their home and go into hiding. Yan's father, a renowned scientist, leaves behind a collection of valuable documents and artifacts which he entrusts to Yan's care. These documents, known as the Sholler's Archive, contain vital information about the Jewish community in Baku and the atrocities that they have suffered under the Nazis.
Years later, Yan is a grown man and still in possession of the Archive. He is haunted by the memories of his family and the events of the war, and he embarks on a mission to find out what happened to his loved ones. Along the way, he meets a group of filmmakers who are working on a documentary about the Jewish community in Baku, and he enlists their help in his search.
The film shifts back and forth between Yan's story and the story of the filmmakers, who are struggling to capture the essence of the Archive and its significance to both Yan and the wider Jewish community. Through their interactions, we see how the past and the present are intertwined and how the Archive serves as a powerful symbol of hope and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.
The performances in Sholler's Archive are outstanding, particularly those of Ajdar Zeynalov as Yan and Shirzad Pirallahi as the lead filmmaker. Zeynalov brings a quiet intensity to his portrayal of Yan, capturing the character's pain and determination with subtlety and nuance. Pirallahi, meanwhile, infuses his character with a sense of gravitas and sincerity that lends weight to the film's message about the importance of preserving history and memory.
At its core, Sholler's Archive is a film about the importance of remembering the past, even in the face of great trauma and tragedy. It is a powerful statement about the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness. This is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll, reminding us all of the importance of bearing witness and bearing each other's burdens in the face of adversity.