TAGHIYEV: SCHOOL

Synopsis

August 1922. In the fading years of his life, Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev sits across from the young American journalist Jerry Thompson. Jerry is ready to hear the story behind one of Haji’s greatest struggles. Baku, May 1901. Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev is determined to open a school for Muslim girls, the first of its kind in the city. His young wife, Sona Taghiyeva, stands beside him, helping him navigate the countless difficulties surrounding the project. But the greatest obstacle is not money. It is the opposition. Haji seeks the support of the Muslim clergy and approaches the matter with caution and diplomacy. At a gathering organized to discuss the school, Akhund Abu Ziyad turns the meeting against him. He condemns the idea of educating girls and reminds those present of Haji’s financial support for the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the site of an ancient Muslim cemetery. His words find an audience, and resistance begins to spread through the city. He entrusts a dangerous mission to one of his closest companions, Molla Mirza Muhammad-oglu. He must travel thousands of kilometers and seek the opinions of the most respected religious authorities of the Muslim world. His journey will take him to seven destinations: Mecca, Medina, Karbala, Khorasan, Cairo, Istanbul and Tehran. When Mirza Muhammad-oglu finally returns, Haji gathers his supporters for one last majlis. The room is tense. The future of the school is uncertain.