True story of Iranian captives screened at Fajr

Movies about the endurance and ingenuity of soldiers in captivity, whose wartime experiences often involved enduring unbelievable torture or inventing ingenious methods of resistance, make for compelling cinema.     

‘23 People’, a film about the life and wartime experiences of 23 Iranian teenage volunteers who were captives during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, is just the latest attempt to bring a real POW’s story to the big screen.     

The film is currently competing for Crystal Simorgh at the 37th Fajr Film Festival in Iran.

Directed by Mehdi Jafari, this film is based on “Those 23 Individuals”, the memoirs of Ahmad Yousefzadeh, one of the 23 volunteers who were held captive in Iraq.

The book portrays the hardships that were inflicted on them when in captivity, and later their visit with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who tried to manipulate the teenage captives in its propaganda campaign against Iran. However, all his attempts were thwarted by magical tricks done by the volunteers.   

“The book has such a wide scope that I unfortunately could not cover all its details in the movie,” director Mehdi Jafari said in a press conference at the festival, adding that, “I hope that someone makes a film with all the details mentioned in the book.”  

A scene from Mehdi Jafari’s epic movie ‘23 People’

Amir Saharkhiz, who has worked on the project as the special effects supervisor, said that “I always had a nightmare about Saddam and I had to create the picture of this person who we did not like to be alive at that time,” he continued, “I hope the result is satisfactory.”

The author of the book Yousefzadeh and the 23 captives attended the screening session of the movie along with members of the cast and crew.

The project was financed by Tehran-based Owj Arts and Media Organization which produces revolutionary works in art and cinema.

While the film has yet to be reviewed by the critics, ‘23 People’ received a “largely positive” reaction from the audience at its Fajr premiere on Tuesday.   

‘23 People’ will make its theatrical debut in a not distant future, currently enjoying Fajr screening experience.

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