TEHRAN – Ten films from Iran were exhibited at the 13th Asian Film Festival of Barcelona (AFFBCN), which opened on October 29 in Barcelona, Spain.
Iranian films participating in the event include “3 Days, 3 Murders” directed by Masoud Amini Tirani, “Summertime” directed by Mahmoud Kalari, “Cold Sighs” directed by Nahid Azizi Sedi, “In the Arms of a Tree” directed by Babak Khajepasha, “6 AM” directed by Mehran Modiri, “For Love” directed by Amir Hossein Saghafi, and “Numb” directed by Amir. ISNA reported that the films include Toudero Star, Iman Yazdi’s “For Lana,” Atiye Zare Alandi’s “Grand Me,” and “Fear and Trembling,” co-directed by Manije Hekmat and Faezeh Azizqani, ISNA reported.
In “3 Days, 3 Murders,” a group of actors decide to spend three consecutive nights in a house where three consecutive murders took place many years ago and were hidden for five years. What if they were the original residents?
“Summertime” follows cousins Ata and Mashi, who have been adjusting to their parents’ absence since they moved to their grandmother’s house. Atta’s father is in prison, and Masi’s father has died. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when their aunt Marji accuses Masi’s brother of stealing jewelry and forces Atta to expose him as the thief. Years later, 77-year-old Atta returns to Iran to visit his old home, bringing back haunting memories of a childhood filled with love, admiration, and betrayal.
In “Cold Sighs”, Baha, a young man from a border town, learns that his father, Bahram, has been released from prison for the first time in 20 years. Baharam killed his wife, Baha’s mother, accusing her of having an affair. Baha, who has never been able to deal with this and is still full of anger and resentment, decides to go on a journey himself to bring his father back to prison.
“In the Arms of the Tree” follows Kimia and Farid, who are seeking a divorce due to their wife’s mysterious illness. Due to the divorce, both parents have to bring one of their sons with them, but 11-year-old Taha and his 5-year-old brother Alisan are inseparable. The boys’ strong bond and friendship becomes a beacon of hope amidst chaos, highlighting the innocence of childhood and the power of familial love in the face of adversity.
In “6am”, Sarah leaves Tehran to study for a PhD in Canada for three years. Her flight is at 6am. After an emotionally charged final dinner with her family, she headed to an impromptu farewell party at her friend Farida’s apartment, before heading straight to the airport. However, when the morality police unexpectedly raid the gathering, Sarah becomes terrified that they will all be arrested, and naturally misses her flight.
“For Love” is the story of a young woman who is abandoned by her friend and wanders into a cold, snowy town. She tries to rediscover her lost love and mend broken bonds. A valuable story that follows the trajectory of an elusive person. Beyond, the city dissolves into an intimate universe.
In “Numb,” six-year-old Roham often acts as a silent witness to the acts unfolding around him in kindergarten. As his curiosity grows, the complex real lives of the other students begin to be revealed. As Roham develops a relationship with Lana, a quiet class bully, he stumbles upon a disturbing secret that tears apart his innocent world.
“For Rana” centers on Aref, who has worked for many years as a motocross stunt driver in the same position at a circus on the outskirts of Tehran. His wife Soudabe and daughter Rana support him despite financial difficulties. But when Lana falls into a coma and needs a heart transplant as soon as possible, her parents are desperate to find a donor in time to save their daughter’s life.
In “Grand Me,” a girl named Melina whose parents are divorced lives with her grandparents. On her ninth birthday, Melina has reached legal adulthood in Iranian society and can now file a custody case in court to obtain legal permission to live with her mother. Melina is growing up too fast and has to deal with these adult issues. As Melina begins to realize that her mother does not want to take her in, she decides not to file a lawsuit, knowing that the problem will not be resolved. Instead, she leaves her mother’s mark on herself in an intimate but tough confrontation.
“Fear and Trembling” is the story of Manzar, a woman ostracized by her family and living a lonely life, trapped by her strict lifestyle and beliefs. One day, he suddenly receives a call from his sister saying that her niece has been arrested. Despite pleas from her family, Manzar sticks to her fundamentalist beliefs and says her niece should be punished. Realizing that he is alone in a changing world, Manzar becomes increasingly frightened and tormented by guilt, and begins to pray for divine salvation.
The program of this year’s Asian Film Festival Barcelona (AFFBCN) aims to be as representative as possible of the latest experimental and independent cinema from the Asian continent, from Iran to New Zealand.
The festival brought together around 100 films, catering to the interests of both audiences familiar with Asian filmmaking and those curious about what not-so-new films can tell us. Diversity in film responds favorably to the variety of stories it presents.
The exoticism often attributed to these works in the West has been replaced by the contribution they have made and continue to make to the cultural construction of an identity that is inseparable from belonging to the region.
One of the aims of the festival is to explore ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’ cinema and stimulate an interest in discovery. Therefore, in some cases, programs aim to be comprehensive, not with the intention of featuring more titles each year, but by showing not only well-known authors who already have a following, but also lesser-known authors.
The festival consists of six sections: Official Section, Official Panorama, Discovery, NETPAC, Special Section and New Perspective.
It covers a very wide geographical area, from Iran to Central Asia, including the former Soviet Union states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, to Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, as well as Southeast Asia, including China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and Asia-Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand.
The 13th AFFBCN will be held until November 9th.
SS/SAB