TEHRAN -- Filmmaker Alireza Davudnejad, whose grandmother won an award at the Dubai festival this year, believes cinema will grow and develop if it arises from within the heart of the everyday lives of people.

Kobra Hassanzadeh Esfahani grabbed the best actress award in the Asia Africa section of 7th Dubai International Film Festival for her role in “Salve” by Davudnejad on Sunday.
“When a filmmaker knows his actor well, he can get the best acting out of him in his role in the production,” Davudnejad told the Persian service of Fars.
“Iranian cinema finds its way into people’s hearts when the daily lives of Iranians are depicted in films. Local cinema will be promoted when local people, their lives and relations are featured, and where an snapshot of daily life goes on screen,” he opined.
He said that making use of real-life local individuals and focusing on their issues lends credibility to a film.
Davudnejad also explained his opinions on the procedures to boost credibility of Iranian cinema and said, “We need to either hold workshops where new talents can be trained for acting and learn how to represent real characters in the society, or make use of the individuals around us to make our films realistic.
“I personally use members of my family or relatives in my films because I know them better than anybody else. It is essential for a filmmaker to know his actors. When you know your actor, you can easily create the role you want.
“My mother won an award several years ago. My son was also nominated as the best actor,” he said.
“The Rival Wife”, “The Octopus” and “Meeting with Parrot” are among his credits.
Photo: Kobra Hassanzadeh (R) and Tannaz Tabatabaii in a scene from “Salve” by director Alireza Davudnejad