Leila’s Violin tells the story of thirteen-year-old Leila, who, after the loss of her mother, travels from California to her mother’s birthplace – an ancient settlement of Mountain Jews in the Quba Mountains of Azerbaijan. There, she meets spiritual messengers and finds a ghostly red violin. This film was an official selection in the 18th Annual Angel Film Awards at the 2021 Monaco International Film Festival.
The screening will be followed by a showing of the short documentary Behind the Violin, a performance by Azerbaijani violinist Sabina Rakcheyeva, accompanied by Nargiz Aliyarova, and a discussion with director Ella Leya and Azerbaijani Diaspora Committe representative Salhat Abbasova.