Tehran – The Iranian special documentary “Isatis,” directed by Alileza Dehan, opened the Fourth National Film Festival in Lisan, Montenegro on August 30th, with Hadi Shariati’s short film “Shadow of the King” taking part in the event.
The 2021 production, the 75-minute film, screened last year in selected cinemas of Iran’s Art and Experience Cinema Group, became the country’s best-selling documentary film, reported Honaron Line.
Isatis is the first Adobe city and the second historic city in the world. The documentary also narrates ancient and historical rituals at the heart of the city, showing the material and intangible heritage at the heart of ancient culture. Religion and the peaceful coexistence of a thousand years are spoken in the words of water, wind, earth and fire.
The water story is told by those who built the aqueduct in Isatis, the town in the heart of the desert. The story of the wind is told by those who conquered the wind to blow away and survive in the hot, dry city. The story of the soil is told by those who built the world’s oldest Adobe city. And the story of fire is told by Zoroaster’s Masters.
Meanwhile, industrial development and environmental pollution can put the city at risk, like many historic cities in the world.
The film is a story of a kind dialogue between religion and the scent of faith. The secrets of perfection and peaceful permanence can only be found in harmony with nature.
Director, producer and screenwriter Alileza Dehan, 37, holds a bachelor’s degree in drama and a master’s degree in cinema and arts studies. He began his cinema career in 2002 and has so far been able to create 17 films and series including short stories, documentaries and television series. Some of his works focus on the environment, anthropology, and the beauty of nature. “Isatis” is all combinations.
Dehghan is a university lecturer and has a history of film festival selection and jury membership, including Roshd, Cinema Vérité, Youth Cinema, Industrial and Technology, and Silent Films. He is also a member of the Iran Youth Film Association (IYCS).
The filmmaker has participated in 180 national and international festivals and has won 70 awards. His films have been selected for many festivals, including Fajr Film Festival, Cinema Verite, Calcutta Film Festival, Trenton Film Festival, and Australian Science Film Festival.
“Shadow of the King” is a 10-minute experimental, quiet film made in 2024. It shows Prince Zer Zer Zer al Sultan, who built a castle at the Qomeshlo hunting ground in Isfahan due to interest in game animals. He caused a fatal blow to the environment, causing the extinction of tigers and endangered leopards, red Caspia deer, mountain goats and other animals.
The film was awarded the best documentary diploma at the Tehran International Short Film Festival.
Hadi Shariati, 45, is a director and screenwriter. He won the Best Screenplay Award from the International Film Festival for Children and Young People for “Inside the Waves.”
Shariati won the Ju-Chair Special Award from the 16th Iran International Documentary Film Festival (Cinéma Vérité), and won the Best Featured Documentary Award for the documentary film “Sattar El Classico” from the 14th Iran International Fic Festival.
He also won the Secretary Special Award from the 16th Cinema Verite Festival for his documentary “Atlan.” He has won awards at the Queen Palm International Film Festival and at the Lake City International Film Festival for his documentary film “Sarah.” This is about a girl who cannot be seen.
In preparation for last year’s festival, organizers agreed that the festival’s fourth edition programme would be marked by the “space” theme. The festival will end on September 3rd.
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