TEHRAN -- A distinguished director from the new generation of Iranian cinema, Reza Dormishian, has said that his acid attack drama “Lanturi” warns of the rise of intolerance in society.

“‘Lanturi’ shows the fight between good and evil; it illustrates intolerance to any opposing views; it shows an eliminatory view that tells if you don’t think like me then you should not exist,” said Dormishian in a press conference at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Friday after a screening of his film during the 34th Fajr Film Festival.

Starring Baran Kowsari and Milad Mohammadzadeh, the film is about a lower class young man who falls in love with a beautiful, upper class young woman. But after the woman refuses to marry the man, he pours acid over her in a vicious act of revenge.

Dormishian also selected a cast of stage actors for his movie.

“Cinema is deeply indebted to theater” he said and added, “I always fervently go to the theater and the young actors in the cast of ‘Lanturi’ are all stage stars.”

“With the daring that the stage actors show in their acting, you can experience everything; because they choose to live freely,” Dormishian explained.

Dormishian lamented the lower standard of movie theaters in Tehran and said, “There are only five theaters with good standards in Tehran, while the other cinemas fail to show all the efforts made by the crews of the movies.”

Dormishian’s previous film, “I’m Not Angry!”, was lauded at several international events.
The movie brought Dormishian the Asian New Talent Award for Best Film and the Best Director Award at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Photo: “Lanturi” director Reza Dormishian

MMS/YAW
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