Azerbaijan faces shortage of domestic children’s films, lawmaker warns

The quantity and quality of children’s films in Azerbaijan remain very limited, with some years producing virtually no full-length projects, Zahid Oruc said.

Oruc noted that most domestic production focuses on series, animation, and entertainment programs, while themes of national values, history, and heroism are often underrepresented.

He highlighted a shortage of professional children’s film teams, screenwriters, and specialized animation staff, resulting in children being exposed primarily to foreign content, weakening the transmission of national culture and language. This, he said, increases the risk of cultural assimilation and erosion of national identity.

The lawmaker added that although Azerbaijan has historical potential in children’s animation, the sector currently faces significant challenges. While successful animated projects were produced from the 1930s through the 1960s-70s, today most children grow up with foreign heroes, and national fairy tales and mythological figures are rarely presented to them.

G. Nazimqızı