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Makhmalbaf's Iranian Film Festival
After a deluge of French and German films, Puneri filmbuffs
can now enjoy  a
different treat. The Aashay Film Club in association
with the National Film Archives (NFAI) is organising
an Iranian Film Festival featuring a selection
of the celebrated Iranian Film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
One of the contemporary exponents of Iranian movie-making,
Makhmalbaf is also one of the most active artists of
the post-revolutionary period in Iran. At the age of
31 years, he made his debut as a director with Nassouh
Repentant in 1982. He wrote twenty-eight short stories,
three novels, ten plays, two books of essays, and twenty-eight
scripts, several of which have been forbidden. Along
with the great Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami,
Makhmalbaf is known to have imbibed the spirit of neo-realism
and social cinema with a thread-bare plot about ordinary
and everyday happenings of life in Iran. Makhmalbaf
is known internationally for his films like The Peddler,
The Cyclist and Once Upon a Time, Cinema.
Winner of fifteen international awards, Makhmalbaf has
produced about 20 short and feature length films, most
of which have been shown at several film festivals around
the world.
Three cheers to the Aashay film club for making efforts
to organise this festival, which Puneites will surely
cherish for long time.
All films are subtitled in English and will be screened
at the NFAI auditorium.
Membership required for entry.
21st March to 26th March
Wednesday 21st March 6:30 pm
The Actor
1993/Col/86mins
Cast: Akbar Abdi, Fatemeh Motamed-Ari, Mahaya Petrossian
The story of Akbar Adbi, a popular film actor who always
wanted to act in serious art films, but a number of
circumstances , including financial problems, force
him to appear in commercial productions. Once again
Abdi decides to never act in commercial movies but his
wife decides to have a child....
Thursday 22nd March 6:30 pm
Once Upon a Time - Cinema
1992/Col/100mins
Cast: Ezzatollah Entezami, Mehdi Hashemi, Parvaneh Masoumi,
Akbar Abdi
The Iranian Monarch, who has 84 wives and 200 children,
is against cinema. But at his first encounter with cinema,
the King falls in love with the heroine of the movie.
So intense is his passion that he gives up his kingdom
and harem for the sake of his beloved, and becomes a
film actor.
Friday 23rd March 6:30 pm
Boycott
1989/Col/85mins
Cast Majid Majidi, Mohammad Kasebi, Ardalan Shojai
The story dates back to the years before the Islamic
Revolution. Valeh forsakes his family in order to follow
his political activities. Eventually, police arrest
Valeh while his wife is experiencing personal problems
and economic hardships. As an inmate, Valeh questions
his political ideas, while his comrades urge him to
sacrifice himself for the propaganda purposes. Inspired
by a militant muslim, Valeh faces death, but for a different
cause.
Saturday
24th March 9:00 pm
The Cyclist
1989/Col/85mins
Cast: Moharram Zeinatzadeh, Eamail Soltanian
Nasim, an Afghan refugee, who needs money for the treatment
of his ailing wife, wagers to pedal a bicycle nonstop
for a week. A number of people lay best and decide to
go along. Nasim's little son accompanies his father
in order to help him win.
Sunday 25th March 6:30pm
Marriage of the Blessed
1989/B7W and Col 96mins
Cast : Mahmoud Bigham, Roya Nonathali, Ali Abadan
After a partial recovery from the impact of explosion
waves, Haji, a young combatant leaves hospital and is
adviced by doctors to get married for perfect recuperation.
His fiancee's father is a businessman, who is planing
to marry his daughter to a rich man. While resolving
the problem of marriage, Haji gains a new understanding
of social problems. He has a relapse during the wedding
and is taken back to the hospital. Going over the recent
events he comes to the conclusion that the battle front
is the only place for him, and leaves the hospital before
complete recovery.
Sunday 25th March 8:15pm
Seeking Refuge
1983/Col/80mins
Cast : Mohamad Kasebi, Majed Taalesh Majeedi, Mas'ud
Qandi
Five wandering men started on an endless journey with
evil (Satanic) thoughts. One of them, who runs away
from the group, drowns in the river, the other commits
suicide. The third one, attempting to murder fellow
companion, himself gets killed and the fourth one falls
in a river and dies. The last man who could fight against
the evil thoughts (ideas) which occured to him, succeeds
and gets freedom.
Monday 26th March 6:30 pm
The Peddler
1987/Col/110mins
Cast: Zohreh Sarmadi, Esmail Sarmadian, Behzad Behzapour
The peddler is a film in three episodes produced by
the Arts Bureau of the Organisation for the propagation
of Islamic Thought. Though each episode depicts a different
story, all three parts are related in their support
of the religious notion of unchangeable predestination.
In one episode, the peddler is involved with a gang
of smugglers. Though he knows he is about to be killed
by the gang, the peddler is proven helpless in his attempt
to change his faith.
Text-- Harikrishna
Information and
Photo Courtesy: Aashay Film Club and www.nima3.com/IranMedia/Makh-int.htm
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