Iranian film fest @ NFAI till July 4

July 2, 2016

Pune has long been a city filled with film lovers and aspiring film-makers alike. Cinephiles in the city now have something exciting to look forward to. The Pune International Centre has partnered with the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) and Iranian Independents to host ‘A Festival of Films’, an Iranian independent film festival which is on till July 4.

“Iranian cinema as we know, from the silent era, tries to showcase cinematic storytelling while also questioning the responsibility of the filmmaker in the contemporary society. We are really happy to bring this package to you,” said Prakash Magdum, Director of NFAI. He also mentioned that the next endeavour of NFAI will be the European Union film festival for which they will partner with the EU. This festival will be returning to Pune after two years.

The festival is curated by Dr Latika Padgaonkar, who is also the director of the Pune International Centre. “Iranian films have gained international recognition and have bagged the highest honour at the top three international film festivals that are Cannes, Berlin and Venice. The films that we are showcasing are made by a younger generation of filmmakers,” she explained.

Also present at the opening of this festival was eminent film critic Rashid Irani who remembered his first encounter with Iranian cinema in 1988 at a film festival. “Naturally, I knew nothing about the director or the film that was scheduled that day. Nevertheless, I ventured into the auditorium for two primary reasons. Firstly, I wanted to see how the country of my forebearers was portrayed on film, especially since I have never been to Iran. More crucially, I hoped to hear the sounds of the melodious language, Persian as it is commonly known. I had also arrogantly presumed that the film wouldn’t be worthwhile and I would walk out. I did no such thing, instead I joined viewers in giving it a rousing ovation. I watched ‘Where is the Friend’s Home’ by Abbas Kiarostami. With this film, Kiarostami put Iran on the cinematic map of the world,” said Irani.

The films have been selected by Mohammad Atebbai who also founded Iranian Independents in 1997. “There is a new generation of filmmakers in Iran, who I specify as the sixth generation. A generation that has been recognised by Asghar Farhadi when he made his first film, ‘Dancing in the Dust’ in 2003. This was also the year when Mani Haghighi and Mohammed Shirvani, two film-makers who are also pioneers of the sixth generation made their films. I’m working with the sixth generation of Iranian filmmakers whose cinema is different from the former generation, especially in form and structure. The young filmmakers are experimenting and using new subjects and challenging new language. Above all, they’re completely independent. The sixth generation has started to make truly independent films. It does not have any support from the government,” writes Atebbai to Dr Padgaonkar.

The films selected are of mixed genres. Some are both technically and conceptually experimental, some grapple with individual and family psychology, others deal with suffocating traditions and some are even satirical.

When: July 1-4

Where: National Film Archive of India, Prabhat Road