Bosnia to host Iranian cineastes

Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been scheduled to host 2 Iranian cineastes during a five-day program.

The program organized by Iran’s Cultural Office in Sarajevo, running in Sarajevo on February 20-24, will host actress Merila Zarei and director Reza Mirkarimi.

Screening ‘Daughter’ and ‘So Close, So Far’, both directed by Mirkarimi, the program will pay tribute to the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker.

Born in 1966, Mirkarimi began his career in 1987 with a 16mm short film named ‘For Him’ followed by another 16mm production ‘A Rainy Day’ and a 35mm ‘A Rooster’.

He has also made television series such as ‘The Adventures of Mrs. Aziz’ and ‘Hemmat School Kids’.

His first feature film ‘The Child and the Soldier’ received several domestic and international awards, including a Silver Balloon Award from the Nantes Three Continents Festival, a Golden Shoe from the Children and Teenagers Festival in Zelin and a Golden Butterfly from the Children and Teenagers Film Festival in Isfahan.

‘Under the Moonlight’ brought him a Fajr Film Festival Crystal Simorgh in 2000, the Cannes Festival Critics Award for the Best Film and Special Jury Prize from the Tokyo Film Festival for Best Director in 2001.

Mirkarimi’s third feature film, ‘Here a Shining Light’ which addresses religious and social issues received Crystal Simorghs for Best Director, Best Cinematography and the Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2002.

‘So Close, So Far’ was Mirkarimi’s fourth feature film that won Crystal Simorghs for the Best Picture and Best Cinematographer and was chosen to represent Iran at the annual Academy Awards.

‘As Simple as That’ received Crystal Simorghs for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role. The movie also received a Golden St. George at the Moscow International Film Festival and received the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Sofia International Film Festival in 2008.

Mirkarimi’s ‘Daughter’ was nominated for the Best Film and the Best Director awards at the 34th edition of Fajr Film Festival.

Born in 1974, Zarei began her acting career with the series ‘Detective Alavi’ in 1994.

She has appeared in numerous series and movies, including ‘A Place of Love’, ‘The Young Officer’, ‘The Pahlavi Hat’, ‘The Bachelors’, ‘The Outcasts’, ‘The Sun Shines the Same on Everyone’, ‘The Fighter Rooster’, ‘A Separation’, ‘Ch (Chamran)’, ‘Bodyguard’, and Mirkarimi’s ‘Daughter’.

Nominated for Fajr International Film Festival Crystal Simorgh for her appearances in ‘The Unwanted Woman’, ‘About Elly’, and ‘Daughter’, Zarei has received the award three times for ‘Friday Soldiers’, ‘Track 143’, and ‘Under the Smokey Roof’.

The event will also screen ‘Where Are My Shoes?’ directed by Kioumars Pourahmad, ‘Crazy Rook’ directed by Abolhassan Davoudi, and ‘Angels Come Together’ directed by Hamed Mohammadi.

MG/RSH