TEHRAN – Two new films “Wednesday, May 9” and “Princess of Rome” have hit the silver screens to liven up Iran’s theaters.

“Wednesday, May 9”, director Vahid Jalilvand’s debut film, went on screen on October 27, while the animation “Princess of Rome” by director Hadi Mohammadian hit the silver screens on November 4.

“Wednesday, May 9” is about a philanthropist intent on helping Tehran’s poor with unexpected consequences and tells the story of Jalal, a man who publishes an unusual advertisement in one of Tehran’s morning papers to donate 300 million rials (about $10,000) to a needy person.

The movie won the FIPRESCI Prize for the Side Section at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival this year. It also won a jury special prize at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival in February of this year.

“Princess of Rome” is an animation that chronicles the life of the Roman emperor’s granddaughter, Malika, the mother of the 12th Imam of Shias Imam Mahdi (AS).

It tells how Malika, who was the daughter of Yusha, the son of the Roman emperor, was brought to Samarra, where she married Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS), the 11th Imam of the Shia.

The animation had its premiere in Tehran in February 2015 during the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival and received two honorable mentions.

Musician Arya Aziminejad, editor Hassan Ayyubi and director of voice actors Nasser Tahmasb are cooperating in the project.

Students aged 9 to 15 are the main target audience and this is why school time was chosen to screen the animation, producer Hamed Jafari had said prior to the premiere of the film.

Photo: A poster for “Princess of Rome”

RM/YAW
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