TEHRAN – “Colonel Sorayya”, Iranian director Leili Aaj’s debut film about Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO)is set to go on screen across Iran this Wednesday.

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.

Staring Jaleh Sameti, Vahid Aqapur, Hamidreza Mohammadi, Diba Zahedi, and Salimeh Rangzan, “Colonel Sorayya” received acclaim at the 41st Fajr International Film Festival in February. The film received honorable mention for the best debut film as well as the Goharshad’s Crystal Simorgh.

Jaleh Sameti was also nominated for the Best Leading Actress Award and Behzad Abdi was nominated for the Best Soundtrack Aaward for his collaboration on the film.

Moreover, Leili Aaj won the Special Jury Prize at the Resistance Film Festival and the Best Actress Award at the festival was also given to Jaleh Sameti.

Speaking at a press conference held after a screening of her film at the 41st Fajr International Film Festival in February, Aaj referred to MKO’s 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.

“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.  
 
Photo: Jaleh Sameti acts in a scene from “Colonel Sorayya” by Iranian director Leili Aaj

SAB/