Fine Iranian titles to go on US screen

The 2nd edition of the MSP Iranian Film Festival in the US has set to screen a number of acclaimed movies from Iran.

Most notable among the titles in the lineup are ‘African Violet’, ‘Orange Days, ‘Bomb, A Love Story’, ‘Dressage’, and ‘Sly’.

Directed by Peyman Maadi, the story of the 95-minute ‘Bomb, a Love Story’ is set in 1988 while Tehran is being relentlessly bombarded during the Iraq-Iran war.

The days that pass by are full of foreboding, and yet, love, affection, hope and living manage to sweep away the fear of death from those surrounded by it.

Made by Mona Zandi-Haqiqi, the 93-minute ‘African Violet’ is a compassionate drama of strength and reunion about Shokouh, a woman who finds out that her ex-husband, Fereydoun, has been placed in a nursing home by their children.

She and her second husband take an unconventional step to take care of Fereydoun in their own home.

Directed by Kamal Tabrizi, the 90-minute ‘Sly’ is a political satire. It tells the story of a hopeful political activist who seeks to become a member of the Iranian parliament, but his path to success is fraught with obstacles and self-inflicted wrong turns.

Made by Arash Lahouti, the 102-minute ‘Orange Days’ is about Aban, a strong, self-sufficient, and the only woman contractor in the competitive orange fields of northern Iran.

She beats out the male competition for a big deal, but the operation quickly gets off to a rocky start as her rivals stop at nothing to obstruct her at every turn.

Directed by Pouya Badkoubeh, the 95-minute ‘Dressage’ tells the story of Golsa, a 16-year-old girl who lives with her middle-class family in Tehran suburbs.

She spends most of her time hanging out with a group of disaffected friends. After an incident where a little bit of fun goes wrong, the friends decide on a course of action that may have unexpected consequences for all of them.

The MSP Iranian Film Festival is organized by the Minneapolis Saint Paul (MSP) Film Society.

The 2nd edition of the event is slated for August 15-18, 2019.

MG/MG