Filmmaker: Durna Safarova

The enigma of Faina

28.04.24

Faina Kungurova was one of a handful of outspoken female activists who fought for freedom, justice and democracy in Azerbaijan. She was the first female political prisoner in the country, who lost her life during a hunger strike in suspicious circumstances in jail in 2007, when she was just 33. She began her political activism at the end of the 1990s as a member of an opposition party and then continued on her own. Her activism seemed to disturb authorities; she quickly became the target of political pressure.

The short ani-doc is a brief glimpse into Faina's life. After its world premiere at the 60th edition of the renowned Annecy Festival, the film has been screened at more than 20 festivals in 18 countries.