TEHRAN – “The Leather Jacket Man”, a suspense drama about drug abuse by women in Iran, premiered in Germany last Wednesday concurrently with its general release in Iran.

Theaters in Dusseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Gutenberg and several other German cities are currently screening the film starring Javad Ezzati and Sara Hatami.

The movie has been produced at the Farabi Cinema Foundation and Eyvan Afarinesh Institute, and the Shahr-e Farang Institute is handling its international distribution.

The film follows Isa Farahman, a State Welfare Organization of Iran investigator who tracks down a ring using young women for drug smuggling.

Director Hossein Mirzamohammadi, producer Kamran Hejazi and members of the cast came together at Tehran’s Hadish Mall Theater on Wednesday to celebrate the film’s release along with filmgoers.

Mirzamohammadi’s research for a documentary about the social impacts of drug abuse in 2019 inspired him to make “The Leather Jacket Man”.

“I heard a lot of outlandish stories that brought the idea of ‘The Leather Jacket Man’ into my mind; girls who were concerned about their security or a girl whose mother offered her drugs,” said Mirzamohammadi before the screening of the film.    

“It’s really difficult to make a film about the issue of corruption in the social system. We had a tough time making and screening the film, and one day, I hope I can make a film about the process of making the film,” he lamented.

He asked Iranian authorities to ease the way for filmmakers to enable social films to progress along with the reality of society.

“Sometimes, we are informed by Iranian newspapers about horrible stories in society, but we are not allowed to make films about the stories, and if we do make a film about such an issue we are accused of presenting a bad image of Iranian society,” Mirzamohammadi said.

“We are suffering in the country from a lot of social disorders, which pose a threat to teenage girls in particular. We must scrutinize these problems, which are undeniable,” he added.

The film, also known as “A Man in a Leather Jacket”, had its premiere in February in Tehran during the 41st Fajr International Film Festival, which awarded the film’s star, Sara Hatami, as best supporting actress.

Photo: Setareh Pesyani and Javad Ezzati act in a scene from “The Leather Jacket Man”.

MMS/YAW