Alias Kurban Saïd

Who hides behind the pseudonym Kurban Saïd? Under this name, the novel Ali and Nino was published in the 1930s. The romance between a Muslim boy and an orthodox Christian girl, which is set around 1920 in the Azeri capital of Baku, has become a cult book and is known as the oriental 'Romeo and Juliet'. Several 'descendants' claim to be relatives of the author, but Kurban Saïd is not easy to trace. The search for the true identity of the mysterious writer is grist to the mill of director Jos de Putter, who travels to New York, Baku, San Francisco, Lichtenau and the Italian village of Positano, conveniently arranging the various theories about the true facts of the novel and the author. 'Kurban Said' still rouses strong emotions. The stories by the descendants are backed by historical footage and the powerful voice of Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, who reads excerpts from the novel.