Iranian movies presented to Vietnamese cinema-goers

HÀ NỘI — Five movies made by different Iranian filmmakers will be presented to Vietnamese audiences during a film week dedicated to the cinema industry of this Islamic country.

The ‘Iran Film Week in Hà Nội’ held by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Việt Nam is a cultural activity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Iran and Việt Nam.

The organiser believes that the film week will open an excellent window to learn about Iran and better understand how good moral characteristics like kindness, modesty, tolerance and piety are passed from generation to generation in Iran.

On January 10, the film event will be opened with So Close, So Far – a drama movie by director Reza Mirkarimi.

An enthralling film that negotiates life, death and parental love, the movie focuses on prolific yet arrogant neurologist, Dr Alam, who tragically finds out that his seven-year-old son is suffering from an inoperable condition. The once estranged father travels to the countryside to locate his son, who is on a field trip. Beautifully shot, So Far, So Close captures the efforts of father and son to reunite in order to save each other.

A scene from the movie ‘So Close, So Far’ by director Reza Mirkarimi. — Photos courtesy of Iranian Embassy

Winning the Best Film at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran in 2015, the film was then selected to represent Iran for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars the same year.

On January 11, another drama movie, Crazy Rook by director Abolhassan Davoudi will be introduced to cinema-goers.

Bagging the title for Best Director and Best Film awards at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival, the film follows a group of friends who met through social media and got caught up in a criminal case and the process of solving brings a new understanding of life and society to each of the group members.

On the screen on January 12 will be the movie Where Are My Shoes? by director Kiumars Pourahmad.

The film charts Habib Kaveh (played by Reza Kianian), an elderly man and factory owner who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Years after Habib has been abandoned by his family, his life is turned upside down when his daughter decides to come back to Iran to reconnect with him. Reza Kianian delivers a powerful and endearing performance in this poignant and relatable story where family relationships are put to test. With this role, Kianian was a nominee for Best Actor award at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival in 2016.

The film agenda will continue with the animation film Loupetoo on January 13.

Directed by Abbas Askari, Loupetoo tells the story of Mr. Kamali, the owner of a sanatorium, who treats the patients by teaching them to make toys. The toys are creative, so they are very attractive to children. But the toy studio is shut down due to sabotage, which causes a critical mental condition in the patients. While Mr. Kamali efforts bear no results, an angel of hope appears to help him.

A scene from the movie ‘Where Are My Shoes?’ by director Kiumars Pourahmad.

The ‘Iran Film Week in Hà Nội’ will be concluded by another animation movie, Mobarak by director Mohammadreza Najafi

The film is about an old man who is a story teller and uses some dolls from Shahnameh [an epic poem written by Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE, and the national epic of Greater Iran]’s characters for his job. However, when a toy store owner decides to steal the dolls, they become alive and begin a funny adventure.

All the movies will be screened at the National Cinema Centre (NCC), 87 Láng Hạ Street. Free tickets can be obtained at the NCC or at the Iranian Embassy, 54 Trần Phú Street, Ba Đình District, Hà Nội. — VNS