Film 5: “Reclaiming Streets” Director: Nigar Safarova Description: Reclaiming the streets for the use of people! The piece was mostly filmed in the central streets of Baku where roads are very narrow and cars are allowed to enter and be parked. Sidewalks are insanely narrow and interrupted by many parked cars and artificial plants. The situation makes it very hard to walk and pass by in the filmed streets. Cities should be designed human-friendly and people must be at the center of the thought process of design. The streets around the very famous central spot of Baku “Targovu” are full of bars, cafes, pubs, and other kinds of attractive facilities for youth. Usually, many young people and children living in the neighborhood spend their time on these streets, and many passes by every day to get to different places since it is a connecting point of various neighborhoods surrounding Targovu. One of the biggest challenges for inhabitants of the streets is the chaotic and busy design of the street where cars are allowed to pass, sidewalks are extremely narrow and filled with huge plants that almost block the sidewalk. Historically, and even if we look back at 10 years ago before the “renovation” of these streets started, one could see many young people and kids playing freely. Now the design of the streets creates a significant inconvenience for the people of the city to pass by, let alone allowing youth to enjoy the space. The film is a protest against the current situation on the streets and youth claims it back where it was more enjoyable and vibrant! This project was realized in collaboration with the Copenhagen Architecture Festival (thanks to the support of The New Democracy Fund). The full version of the film and all films that are produced within the scope of the project can be found on cafx.dk.

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