Iran ‘Breath’ becomes Opening Night feature in Canada fest

Internationally acclaimed Iranian movie ‘Breath’ has been shown on the opening night of the annual Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, Canada.

Narges Abyar could not attend the screening session of her film in person on March 8, though she managed to talk with the audience through live conferencing. Abyar is in Italy now where ‘Breath’ is on the big screen in the country.

Now in its 12th year, the annual Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWIFF) showcases an impressive line-up of short, and feature films (narrative, documentary, experimental and animation) by established and emerging women filmmakers from around the world.

The event in Canada started on March 8, 2017 and runs till March 12.

Iranian director/writer Abyar’s movie ‘Breath’ shows how hopes and dreams of many Iranian children were shattered by the flames of the war that Iraq lit in 1980.

The story of the film begins in the late 1970s in a suburb of Karaj, where Bahar, Nader, Kamal and Maryam live with numerous colorful dreams of their childhood along with their father and granny. The mother of the household, however, has died a few years ago.

The father, who suffers from asthma, works for a shoemaking company. In her dreams, Bahar, who narrates the story of the film, wishes to treat him when she becomes a doctor.

Iranian actors and actresses Gelare Abbasi, Mehran Ahmadi, Jamshid Hashempour, and Shabnam Moqaddami star in ‘Breath’.

‘Breath’ won the Golden Simorgh for Best Film with National View at the 34th Fajr Film Festival held in February, 2016. The film has been acclaimed at various international cinematic events as well.

Mohammad Atbayi has been appointed as the international distributor of the film.

AG/AG