TEHRAN – Iranian director Leili Aaj has said that her debut film “Colonel Sorayya” warns Iranians not to believe Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) propaganda.

Speaking at a press conference held after a screening of her film at the 41st Fajr International Film Festival last Thursday, she referred to MKO’s recent attempts to portray a more favorable image of itself, and said, “Don’t believe the MKO; they are trying to sanitize their dark past.”  

“The group is attempting to bolster its image; they assume that we have forgotten their history over the past 40 years, but we shall never forget,” she noted.

Written based on a true story, the film portrays mothers longing for their children being held captive in Iraq at Camp Ashraf, the base of the MKO, which has officially been designated as a terrorist group.

The film follows Sorayya Abdollahi, an Iranian woman who travels to Iraq to meet her son at the camp. Behind the camp’s fence, she finds many other mothers who have been unable to visit their children.

During her research to turn a story about her grandfather into a screenplay, Aaj found a photo depicting women behind Camp Ashraf’s fence searching for their sons who were held at the base. 

The photo inspired Aaj to change her mind about the subject of the film. Putting her focus on the women instead of her grandfather, she found Sorayya Abdollahi and several other mothers, whose children were taken captive by the MKO, to better document the screenplay, which was produced at the Owj Arts and Media Organization.

“Mother, waiting and children are the keywords, which are common to all cultures across the world,” said Aaj and accordingly, added that the film may attract people from across the globe.   

Carrying the pictures of their sons, Abdollahi and a number of the mothers also attended the conference.

“As the film shows, I’m the mother of Amir Aslan, who was kidnapped by the MKO in Turkey in 2002; my son is still held captive by the MKO,” said Abdollahi who is portrayed by actress Jaleh Sameti.

Abdollahi praised Sameti for her performance and said, “This film portrays all of our pains; as a result of this I feel that I have been reborn.” 

“The film is simply perfect. Aaj excellently portrayed precisely what has happened in reality,” she asserted.

Photo: Director Leili Aaj and Sorayya Abdollahi, the leading character of her film “Colonel Sorayya”, attend a photocall for the drama during the 41st Fajr International Film Festival at Tehran’s Mellat Cineplex on February 2, 2023. (ISNA/Morteza Zangeneh)

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