TEHRAN – The Owj Arts and Media Organization has denied any alleged deal between director Ebrahim Hatamikia and the family of Martyr Qassem Soleimani for making a movie on the late commander of Iran’s Quds Force.  

In a press release published on Tuesday, Ali Sadrinia, an official of the major organization that produces revolutionary works in art and cinema, said that Hatamikia’s new project is not about Soleimani. 

In a message posted on Monday by a journalist on Twitter, he said, “Based on a deal between Zeinab Soleimani [daughter of Soleimani] and Ebrahim Hatamikia, the first film project on Soleimani will begin in a few days, meanwhile, several young filmmakers’ projects have been shut down under pressure from the martyr’s family.”

Sadrinia noted, “Despite all the remarks, Ebrahim Hatamikia’s new film is not about Hajji Qassem; Ms. Soleimani neither has signed any contract with him nor has prevented any director making a film.”

“Minutes ago, Mr. Hatamikia said that the ground should be prepared for the youth to owe their debt to him,” he added.

Hatamikia made his controversial peasant protest movie “Exodus” at Owj with collaboration by the Iranian film company Nurtaban.

“Exodus”, which is on a nowhere-land peasant protest against the local authority that symbolically resembles President Hassan Rouhani’s government, premiered at the 38th Fajr Film Festival in February.

It failed to receive the acclaim of the critics who judged the film as falling below expectations.

Hatamikia was one the first Iranian celebrities who sent messages of condolences following the assassination of Quds Force commander Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in January.

“I warmly embraced him many times and I found myself thirstier at separation time,” Hatamikia wrote in his message.

“Indeed, what decoration fitted him perfectly except the martyrdom honor? But, I ask permission from all martyrs to say that Hajji Qassem Soleiamni needs no title for before and after his name. Hajji Qassem Soleiamni means all the honorable titles. May his memory be eternal,” added Hatamikia who called himself Soleimani’s “small soldier”.  

Photo: Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani kisses filmmaker Ebrahim Hatamikia in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW