Iran celebrates 120 years of national film history
Iran celebrates 120 years of national film history

TEHRAN – Iran celebrated its 120 years of national cinema history at Tehran’s Felestin Cinema on Thursday during the opening ceremony of the 36th Fajr International Film Festival. The ceremony was attended by a large number of Iranian cineastes and foreign guests as veteran actor Reza Kianian cut a cake prepared for the celebration. In […]

TEHRAN – Iran celebrated its 120 years of national cinema history at Tehran’s Felestin Cinema on Thursday during the opening ceremony of the 36th Fajr International Film Festival.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of Iranian cineastes and foreign guests as veteran actor Reza Kianian cut a cake prepared for the celebration.

In his short opening speech, Kianian told the audience, “We have a number of good films this year and I hope you will all like and welcome the films.”

Iranian director Majid Majidi’s “Beyond the Clouds” was the opening film of the event, which was screened in Hindi with English and Persian subtitles.

The film, which was made in India in 2017, revolves around the life of a young boy, Amir, and his sister, Tara, in Mumbai. When on the run from the cops, Amir finds his estranged sister, who, in a bid to protect her brother, lands in jail. Their entire lives are clouded by despair when, unexpectedly, the light shines on them from beyond the clouds.

Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex will host the festival running until April 27.

In addition, a collection of photos by the Paris-based Iranian photographer Alfred Yaqubzadeh on Palestine’s Intifada opened at the 14 Gallery as part of the programs arranged for the festival.

The collection named “Intifada Uprising” puts the spotlight on Palestinians and three decades of their uprising against the Israeli occupation of their homeland.

The exhibit is being organized in the Broken Olive Branches section, which is screening films on the upheavals in today’s Muslim world.

Yaqobzadeh has published a collection of his photos on Palestinians’ struggle against the Zionist regime in a book titled “Promised Peace”. His books “Iran-Iraq War” and “Faces of War” focus on the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.