Filming of the feature film "Shovkat," dedicated to Azerbaijan's first female captain Shovket Salimova, has been successfully completed, Azernews reports.
The film was produced on commission by the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Closed Joint-Stock Company (ASCO).
The project aims to convey to a wide audience, through the medium of film, the life story of a woman who left an indelible mark on the history of national maritime navigation, as well as to highlight Azerbaijan's contribution and the role of women in the maritime industry during World War II.
More than 70 local and international specialists, as well as over 100 actors, participated in the production of the film.
The role of Shovkat is portrayed on screen by young actress Nazrin Abdullayeva.
The film also features People's Artist Gurban Ismayilov, well-known actors Hikmat Ragimov, Elsever Ragimov, Nigar Mursalova, and others.
The idea for the film was conceived by ASCO's Public Relations Department Head Mehman Mehdiyev.
The screenplay was written by Tural Ibrahimov, director of the Surakhani Ship Museum, and Asif Rustamov.
The film's director is Asif Rustamov, with Raufe Gurbanaliyev as the director of photography, Tural Ibrahimov as the executive producer, and Sabina Gasanova as the producer.
During the shooting, ships from the ASCO fleet were extensively used, as well as other real locations, which added a high level of realism and authenticity to the film. Currently, post-production work is ongoing.
Shovkat Salimova made history as the first female sea captain in Azerbaijan and the first Muslim woman to captain a ship in the entire Middle East. Her contributions to her country were invaluable- during the Great Patriotic War, she commanded vessels that transported military equipment, fuel, and ammunition to Stalingrad, and brought wounded soldiers back to Baku and Krasnovodsk.
Born into a large family as the eldest of ten children, Shovkat grew up in Baku in the household of an oil worker. Interestingly, the sea wasn't her first dream. At that time, even young men faced great difficulty entering maritime academies for women; it was almost unthinkable. But Shovkat defied convention, pushed forward with determination, and was eventually admitted as an exception to the navigation faculty, the training ground for future captains.
After graduation, she was assigned to the Black Sea Shipping Company. Yet once again, she faced scepticism. The personnel department doubted that a young woman could take on a captain’s responsibilities and instead appointed her as third mate aboard the tanker Sergo. When she arrived on the ship, the captain, too, refused to accept her. But Shovkat stood her ground and won. He had no choice but to let her aboard.
Thus began her real journey. For seven gruelling months, the tanker sailed across the open seas, and Shovkat proved her skill and resilience, ultimately earning praise from the very captain who had doubted her. Afterwards, she returned to the Caspian Sea and soon after, she became captain of large maritime vessels herself.
With the outbreak of World War II, many male sailors were sent to the front, and women stepped in to fill their roles. Shovkat began delivering vital cargo equipment, ammunition, and oil to the Soviet front near Stalingrad and transported the wounded back to Baku. These missions were perilous. On one occasion, her crew received word that twelve enemy tankers, divided into three groups, were heading toward them.
Shovkat acted swiftly, preparing her crew to meet the attack head-on. Nearly all the enemy ships were repelled. Only one managed to break through and dropped a deadly payload onto her ship, sparking a fire. The crew managed to extinguish it, a testament to her leadership in crisis.
Throughout the war, Shovkat Salimova performed numerous heroic deeds, earning her multiple honours: the medals For the Defence of the Caucasus, For the Victory over Germany, two Orders of the Red Star, and the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class.
Her ships sailed the waters of the Mediterranean, Marmara, Aegean, and Red Seas, visiting dozens of ports across the globe. It was during one of these voyages that she met her future husband, a ship mechanic. They went on to build a happy life together.
When she stepped away from active sea duty, Shovkat turned her focus to science. She defended a dissertation, became a candidate of economic sciences, earned the title of associate professor, and was recognised as a merited economist of the republic. She also became a corresponding member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences and remained active in public life.
Shovkat Salimova passed away in Baku in 1999. Through relentless perseverance and a deep love for her profession, she shattered stereotypes and proved that women are just as capable as men, even in the rough, demanding world of the sea.
