ifilm talks with Fajr top winner

ifilm has landed an exclusive interview with Iranian female filmmaker Narges Abyar who grabbed best director award at 37th Fajr Film Festival in Iran.

Director Abyar should be now quite contented with the jury's decision to grant her the best film as well as the best director awards for ‘Night of the Full Moon’ at Fajr fest 2019.

The film tells the story of Abdul-Hamid Rigi, the younger brother of Abdul-Malik Rigi, the founder and leader of the Jundallah terrorist group in southeastern Iran, who marries Faezeh Mansuri, a woman from Tehran. 

He forces Faezeh to leave her homeland along with her brother to live in Pakistan where they find themselves involved in the Jundallah terrorist activities.

The Rigi brothers were arrested by Iranian security forces and were executed in 2010 after a court found them guilty of dozens of criminal charges.

To get a better idea of how she feels after such great triumph at 37th Fajr Film Festival held in February, ifilm has done an exclusive interview with mega-director Abyar.

Below are some excerpts from the interview originally conducted in Persian by ifilm:

ifilm: A strange movie, with strange acting and with the strange theme of Abdul-Malik Rigi. How did you start thinking of making ‘Night of the Full Moon’?

Director: First of all, it should be noted that the movie is not about Abdul-Malik Rigi, but more about such mentality, and I should say that the story of Rigi is the background of my film, and its subject is completely marginal.

I always followed up with the events originating from such mentality, and it was, in fact, a sensitive issue, and I felt that a film with a feminine gaze on the issue appeared to be missing in cinema. I think it was high time to make such movie.

ifilm: ‘Track 143’ was a war movie as well, but Narges Abyar's look was much different than the movie ‘‘Night of the Full Moon’.

Director: Yes. Each film differs from the other, and it seems to me that if the look does not change, filmmakers repeat themselves. That is very dangerous and I never want to reprise my projects.

ifilm: You used the actor in your movie who, according to her, was in the hospital bed, when reading the script. How did you make such a risk, to give the leading role to Ms. Elnaz Shakerdoust?

Director: Yes. I had talked with her before she was hospitalized and was about to talk more about the work before she was unfortunately injured. I spoke to her again at the hospital and read the screenplay there. The fact of the matter is I did not think our project would proceed any time soon, given Elnaz Shakordost’s physical condition, but she did her utmost to play her role and achieve the best with all her might.

ifilm: I also spoke with Ms. Shabnam Moghaddam, who said that you had full command over the script, and this issue is one of the factors behind your success.

Director: Well. I used to write at some point in time and this could be down to my background in writing which in turn made room for my keen observation and good grasp of the movie script.

AG/AG