TEHRAN -- “Princess of Rome” producer Hamed Jafari has said that the religious animated drama has not received any support from Iranian governmental organizations over any stages of its production and screening.

The governmental organizations active in film production prefer to invest in plots being created inside their organization, he told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.

In addition, the organizations are not eager to support animation projects because they view the projects as unprofitable, he added.

“Princess of Rome”, which is currently on screen at Iranian theaters, chronicles the life of the Roman emperor’s granddaughter, Malika, the mother of the 12th Imam of Shias Imam Mahdi (AS).

The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts, a youth movement that was established in Lebanon on 5 May 1985 by the political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah, provided the initial funds for the project, Jafari said.

Instead, the organization got the franchise for the Arabic version of the animation.

Due to its religious theme, the project also received considerable offerings and voluntary financial support from ordinary people, Jafari stated.

Directed by Hadi Mohammadian, the movie 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.

Photo: A scene from “Princess of Rome”

MMS/YAW
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