TEHRAN – A documentary exploring the nostalgic recollections of residents on Si-e Tir Street in downtown Tehran was screened for journalists and critics at Milad Tower on Monday, the first day of the 34th Fajr Film Festival.

In “Residents of a One-Way Street”, six elderly residents recount their memories of the old days on the street, which was called Qavam os-Saltaneh Street before the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in 1979.

“The urban area is the focal concept behind all the films that I have ever made,” director Medhi Baqeri told the Persian service of IRNA after the screening of the film.

“Residents of a One-Way Street” turns the spotlight on the people’s recollections of the events that occurred on the street and of historical buildings nearby, Baqeri explained.

However, such approaches form bilateral relationships between the filmmaker and the residents who are willing to share their impressions, Baqeri added.

The street located between City Park to the south and Jomhuri Avenue to the north was originally named after Ahmad Qavam (1876-1955) -- Qavam os-Saltaneh, a politician who served as prime minister of Iran several times.

The documentary also chronicles the history of places including a mosque, a church, a hospital, a synagogue, a Zoroastrian fire temple, a bookstore, a sports club, a movie theater, a confectionary and Ahmad Qavam’s residence that currently is home to the Abgineh Museum.

A production of Iran’s Documentary and Experimental Film Center, “Residents of a One-Way Street” is competing with ten other documentaries in the Cinéma Vérité Section.

“Blind Spot” directed by Mehdi Golestaneh and “It Occurred at Midnight” by Tina Pakravan, “A Very Ordinary Citizen” by Majid Barzegar and “Coquetry” by Seyyed Jalal Dehqani were among the movies that went on screen on Monday and Tuesday.

Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony on February 11.

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