(2025, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Türkiye, 112')
After Sermon to the Fish (2022) and Sermon to Birds (2023), Sermon to the Void concludes Hilal Baydarov’s “Sermon” trilogy. Shot entirely in the desert, the film is a meditation on the meaning of life, unfolding across vast landscapes, solitary figures, and sparse yet profound dialogues. Regarded as one of the leading voices of Azerbaijani poetic cinema, Baydarov weaves influences from Iranian poetry and Russian literature, expressing a deep connection to the landscapes, symbols, and traditions of his homeland.
Born in 1987, Hilal Baydarov is an Azerbaijani director and screenwriter. After earning a degree in computer science, he moved to Sarajevo to study film. He made his debut at the Montreal World Film Festival with Hills Without Names (2018) and later created the “Katech Trilogy,” a tribute to his native village, consisting of Mother and Son (2019), When the Persimmons Grew (2019), and Nails in My Brain (2021). In 2020, he presented Sepelenmis Ölümler Arasinda (In Between Dying) at the Venice Film Festival.