TEHRAN – Ebrahim Hatamikia, the director of the political drama “Bodyguard”, has urged the Iranian government to support filmmakers who are trying to mirror the widespread threat of the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL).

Hatamikia made the remarks at Milad Tower on Saturday at a press conference after a screening of his latest film “Bodyguard” during the 34th Fajr Film Festival.

Pointing to the X-ray security scanner installed at the entrance to the tower’s complex, he called on Iranian filmmakers to observe the matter as a warning sign.

The festival should provide more opportunity for filmmakers willing to highlight efforts by Iranian troops and security forces, which are constantly patrolling along the extensive Iran-Iraq borderlines.

Starring Parviz Parastui and Merila Zarei, “Bodyguard” tells the story of a middle-aged man who mostly protects high-ranking political figures. However, he gets into trouble when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest approaches a vice president.

Hatamikia said that he features some motifs in “Bodyguard” to recollect his 1999 hit “The Glass Agency”, in which he shows a veteran’s attempt to send his friend abroad to receive treatments for the injuries he received in a chemical attack during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The “Bodyguard” crew spent three months to complete the shooting of movie, which is filled with various action scenes, and visual and sound effects.

“Bodyguard” is vying with twenty-one other films such as “Lollipop” by Mohammad-Hossein Farahbakhsh and “Where Are My Shoes?” by Kiumars Purahmad in the main competition.

The lineup also includes “Breathe” by “Track 143” director Narges Abyar. The director of the acclaimed comedy “Lizard”, Kamal Tabrizi, will be coming with “Mina’s Choice”, a film about infidelity.

Eleven documentaries are competing in the Cinéma Vérité Section. Among the highlights is “A 157”, filmmaker Behruz Nuranipur’s tragedy about three Kurdish girls who became pregnant after being raped by members of ISIS.

Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony of the festival on February 11.

Photo: Ebrahim Hatamikia (R) directs Parviz Parastui in a scene from “Bodyguard”.

AFM/YAW
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