TEHRAN – Four Iranian films will go on screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival, which will be held in the Australian city from August 1 to 18. 

“Brick and Mirror”, UK-based Iranian filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan’s 1964 drama will be screened in Restorations, a section dedicated to newly restored classics and cinematic treasures of the world.

The film is about Hashem, a cab driver who finds an infant child in the back seat of his cab one night after he gives a ride to a young woman. He and his girlfriend, Taji, try to cope with this unwanted child. Hashem insists on getting rid of the child, Taji on keeping him. By the end, Hashem gets rid of them both.

“Seven Beauties” by Lina Wertmuller from Italy, “Return Home” by Ray Argall from Australia, “The Queen” by Frank Simon from the U.S., “Pixote” by Hector Babenco from Brazil and “Distant Voices, Still Lives” by Terence Davies from England will be reviewed in this section.

“The Juniper Tree” by Nietzchka Keene from Iceland, “Black Robe” by Bruce Beresford from Canada and “Sátántangó” by Béla Tarr from Germany are also among the films.

Iranian films “Tattoo” by Farhad Delaram, about a young girl who wants to renew her driver’s license but she is sent to the traffic police center for her tattoos, and “Son of the Sea” by Abbas Jalali-Yekta about a grieving couple that has lost their son, will compete in the short film section of the festival. 

The festival will also screen “Passage”, a co-production between Iran and Australia by Iranian director Kimia Hendi. 

The short film is about a young girl, Shirin, who has just lost her father and tries to cope with her grief. 

Photo: A scene from UK-based Iranian filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan’s movie “Brick and Mirror”.
 
ABU/MMS/YAW