The Oil Gush Fire in Bibiheybat is one of the earliest films ever produced. Directed by the pioneer of cinema in Azerbaijan

Cinema of Azerbaijan

- Early history :The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. In fact, Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in cinematography. When the Lumière brothers of France premiered their first motion picture footage in Paris on December 28, 1895, little did they know how rapidly it...

, Alexandre Michon

Alexandre Michon

Alexandre Michon was a Russian photographer and cinematographer. Born to a French family in Kharkiv, he started his career as a photographer and owned a photo studio in his hometown. He later settled in Baku and lived there for 25 years. Here, in 1898, he shot his first films using a Lumiere...

, this 30-second film was shot on August 6, 1898 in Bibiheybət village near Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

 and presented at the International Paris Exhibition .

The film was shot using a 35mm film on a Lumière cinematograph. Some scenes from this film were also shown in France in 1995, in a footage commemorating the 100th anniversary of world cinema.