TEHRAN (Iran News) –Eight Iranian movies will be competing in different categories of the Rovereto Archeologia Memorie (RAM) Film Festival in Italy.

“The Radkan Tower” directed Ehsan Mollazadeh and Hojjat Heidari, and “Isatis” by Alireza Dehqan will be screened in the Archaeological Cinema section of the festival, which will take place in Rovereto from September 28 to October 2.

“The Radkan Tower” is about a 25-meter conical brick tower in Iran, which has attracted visitors for centuries. It is a very advanced astronomical instrument, built almost 800 years ago under the supervision of Khawaja Nasir ad-Din al-Tusi, which has the ability to determine the exact moment of the change of each season, bringing the good news of the arrival of the spring.

In “Isatis”, water, wind, earth and fire tell the story of this millenary city: Isatis, the first city in the world to be built of brick, in the heart of the desert. The documentary is a narration of ancient rites and historical anecdotes; a demonstration of peaceful coexistence between religions; the revelation of the material and immaterial heritage of an ancient culture.

The animated movie “Gilgamesh” and “The Improvement of Human Reason”, both directed by Hossein Moradizadeh, will be shown in the Culture section.

“The Improvement of Human Reason” is based on a 12th-century philosophical treatise on human nature. It tells of a child who grows up alone on a remote island, learns to cover himself, defend himself and light a fire. He knows the sky and sees the world as a living creature, respecting plants and animals. One day, Absal arrives on the island and takes him to his land. But they are all too greedy and vain there and Havy decides to return to the island.

“Gilgamesh” recounts the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest literary work in the world. The earliest known version was written in Akkadian in the 19th century BC and best describes the human pursuit of immortality. Gilgamesh, the famous hero of Uruk, a city in the land of the Sumerians, in Mesopotamia, has a semi-divine semi-human character and fights for immortality throughout his life, failing many times.

“Iran Traditional Ice Houses” will be showcased in the Glimpses from the World category.

Director Mehdi Ahmadi shows that before the advent of technology, the differences between the various countries were evident in the world, in the production and consumption of ice. Perhaps the strangest way of preserving ice was the one in use in Iran.

“Felting” by Ehsan Amini, “Tilework” by Keyvan Ahmadi and “Saffron-Based Lifestyle” by Parisa Bajelan will compete in the Looks from the World section.

In “Felting” the focus is on the extinction of felting art in Isfahan, and in “Tilework”, the artisan Ilia tells how the art of ceramics is gradually disappearing in the central Iranian city.

“Saffron-Based Lifestyle” shows how saffron’s white bud and purple sprout come out of the soil at night and must be picked before sunrise so that the sun doesn’t cause its aroma to fade. This flower has a close relationship with people’s lifestyle and is a symbol of collaboration between family members.

Photo: “Gilgamesh” by Hossein Moradizadeh.