Tehran – The Iranian documentary “Holain of Iran,” directed by Hadi Afaride, won the Screen Tourism Award at the International Travel Film Awards Festival, held in Barcelona, Spain from September 26th to 29th.
In addition to winning the Screen Tourism Award, “Iranian Holain” was also recognized as the festival’s Golden Plaque, Mehr reported.
Additionally, the Spanish Tourism Film Conference invited Affaid to participate in the Spanish Film and Tourism Conference 2026, a well-known event in the field of cinemas and sustainable tourism.
Produced by the Iranian Documentary, Experimental and Animation Film Centre, the documentary focuses on Austrian architect Hans Holain’s journey to Iran in the 1970s, exploring Iran’s architectural heritage, particularly his artistic vision for the design of the Abuzine Museum in Tehran.
The museum is known not only for its beautiful artifacts that appear inside, but also for its beautiful architectural factories with the building itself.
This century-old building was converted into a museum by Pretzker Prize-winning architect Hans Holain (1934-2014). A famous individual known for his persuasive and unique works in architecture and for his array of other diverse designs.
The original structure of the Abgineh Museum includes elements of traditional Persian architectural elements, as well as the influences of European and Russian architecture between them. The building is a two-storey and a basement octagon.
The façade of the building is decorated with brick relief, marking the Seljuk era. Wooden door windows decorated with intricate designs around them adorn the façade. Qajar Era style pouches and pillars mark the entrance.
The two stories are connected by horseshoe-shaped stairs. The design of the stairs was inspired by Russian architecture from the 18th to 19th centuries.
Many such old structures were destroyed under the pretext of modern architecture. This structure is one of the few that have survived. The building itself has a greater cultural and historical value, just like the objects displayed inside it. During his time at Kajal, he worked as the home of Iranian prime minister and politician Ahmad Qavam. It was then used as an Egyptian embassy and for various other purposes until 1980 by Holaine, transformed into a museum of glass and ceramics.
Using this structure to transform history and knowledge to the public display played an important role in maintaining the structure. In 1998, it was added to the list of Iran’s national heritage.
In one of his lectures, Holain explained the concept behind the Abuzine Museum as follows: “The concept behind Tehran’s glass museum and pottery was a harmonious relationship between the old and the old that had been preserved and the new that had been introduced.
“Iranian Holain” aims to create a dialogue between the past and present, and build a bridge between Iranian culture and an international audience.
The International Travel Film Awards Festival, held under the theme of “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” hosted films from around the world that addressed the topics of travel, human experience and connection with nature.
SS/SAB