Parisian Iran Cinema Festival unveils lineup

June 13, 2021 - 18:37

TEHRAN – The Iran Cinema Festival (Festival Cinemas d’Iran) has announced the lineup for its eighth edition, which will be held in Paris from June 23 to 29.

Seven movies, including “Charcoal” by Esmaeil Monsef, “Dance with Me” by Sorush Sehat, “Just 6.5” by Saeid Rustai and “Suddenly a Tree” by Safi Yazdanian, have been selected to be screened in the feature film category.

A highlight of the category is “The Warden” by Nima Javidi. The story of the drama is set in 1966, when a prison in southern Iran is being evacuated because of its proximity to the city’s new airport. Major Jahed, the warden, transfers the prisoners to the new prison and then soon receives a report that one prisoner, sentenced to death, is missing!

The section also features “Castle of Dreams” by Reza Mirkarimi. The film is about two young children whose mother has just died, and their father, Jalal, after long years of absence, returns to sort things out, but he does not want to take the children with him.

“A Hairy Tale” by Homayun Ghanizadeh will also be screened in this section. In this movie, Danesh is in love with both cinema and Homa, a well-known actress. Kazem is in love with both the movie “Casablanca” and his barber shop’s certificate. Shapur is in love with both canned tuna and politics. The city is full of beggars while an earthquake may happen soon. Every now and then, the body of a dead woman, with head shaved, is found near the sea. As Inspector Kiani says, “It’s a messy situation!”

Four documentary films will be reviewed in a special category for this genre.

Among the films are “None of Your Business” by Kamran Heidari, “No Place for Angels” by Sam Kalantari, and “Exodus” by Bahman Kiarostami.

Director Taqi Amirani’s acclaimed documentary “Coup 53” will also be screened. While making a documentary about the Anglo-American coup in Iran in 1953, Amirani and editor Walter Murch find an extraordinary and never-before-seen archive. Documents and 16mm footage recount this story in unprecedented detail, with explosive revelations about secrets hidden for 66 years. From a historical documentary about four days in August 1953, the film becomes a living investigation that exposes the roots of Iran’s volatile relationships with the United Kingdom and the USA.

Ten short films, including “Diving Lessons” by Marzieh Riahi and “Tattoo” by Farhad Delaram, will be showcased in two special sections of the festival.

Photo: A poster for the 8th Iran Cinema Festival in Paris. 

MMS/YAW
 

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