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Ramin Rasouli, Afghan film director who is attending the 37th Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF), in an interview with Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Saturday expressed his gratitude of the cooperation he receives during his cinematic activities in Iran.
Having directed several short films, Rasouli made his first movie, Lina, in Iran, Afghanistan and the Netherlands in 2017 with the Iranian actor Amir Aqaee in the male leading role co-starring with an Afghan actress in his opposite role.
Lina has been presented at 8 international film festivals and received warm welcome. The movie will also be screened in Iran’s cinemas too, he says.
Now, he is thinking and planning his second movie, again in Iran.
“Given to some constraints on equipment, including access to warfare for the film, some sequences will be shot in the southeastern Iranian city of Mashad,” he says and appreciates the warm cooperation of Iranian stars and technical experts in joint projects.
Rasouli believes that the intertwined relations of the cultures of Iran and Afghanistan sets a better ground for such cooperation.
As to the cinema of Iran, he describes it as 'a global brand' that is known and recognized independent from the cinemas of other countries.
“Cinema of Iran has improved a lot compared to the past. There is no technical weakness in it. I am a fan of Iranian films. It is known in itself as global brand, like the cinema of India, Hollywood and the cinema of the Europe. Today’s films made by Iranian filmmakers cannot be compared to the cases made for example 20 years ago,” Rasouli says.
But, he believes that there is a major weakness in the Iranian film which is turning the cinema into what is called ‘apartment cinema’ by Iranian filmmakers. It is characterized by a cliché theme that is repeated again and again in different films just because the theme has won attention of awards, he says.
The director believes that the weakness is a threat against the brand which has gained a foothold among other international cinema brands.
He warns Iranian filmmakers of getting into the cliché trap, quoting the renowned English film director Alfred Hitchcock, “to make a great film, you need three things—the script, the script and the script.”
On the influence of visual media such as cinema and television in the society, the 41-year-old Afghan filmmaker believes that the media thanks to their nature can play a major role in promotion of the society, particularly in awareness raising on violence.
“Many people in Afghanistan do not know much on violence as there are remote villages and places in the country where most of the people are illiterate. So, access to books and the lack of ability of reading is a barrier for awareness raising on some negative phenomena, such as violence,” he says.
He believes that most cases of extremism and violence takes place in such environments. Therefore, he says, using films as an instructional means that requires no specific skill or expensive equipment can be regarded as a privilege.
The 37th edition of FIFF, comprising of various sections, kicked off on April 18 and will run until April 26 in Charsou Cinema Complex in Tehran.
By: Mahdokht Pazoki
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