Zurich to honor Iran director Mehrjoui

Iranian Film Festival Zurich is set to pay homage to veteran Iran filmmaker Dariush Mehrjoui.

The honoring ceremony will take place during the festival's 3rd edition held from June 1-7, 2017 in Zurich, Switzerland. 

The festival which dedicates a seprate tab on its official website to Mehrjoui, will give honorary Golden Cyrus Cylinder to the director. 

Born 1939 in Ilam, Dariush Mehrjoui showed great interest in miniature painting and music, learning to play both santoor and piano since an early age.

When he was 17, he became interested in cinema and started learning English to understand the cinema of the world better and at the age of 20, he moved to the US and enrolled in the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of Cinema.

Eventually, he switched his major to Philosophy and graduated from UCLA in 1964. He then became the chief editor of Pars Review magazine in Los Angeles, one year before he returned to Iran.

Mehrjoui made his directing debut with ‘Diamond 33’ in 1966. His second feature film ‘Cow’ brought him national and international recognition.

Since ‘Cow’ in 1969, Mehrjoui, along with Naser Taqvaee and Masoud Kimiaei, has been playing a key role in paving the way for the Iranian cinematic renaissance known as the ‘Iranian New Wave’.

He has written, directed and edited ‘The Cycle’ (1978), ‘The Tenants’ (1986), ‘The Lady’ (1991), ‘Sara’ (1992), ‘Pari’ (1994), ‘Leila’ (1996), ‘Mix’ (1999), ‘To Stay Alive ’ (2001), ‘Mom's Guest’ (2003), ‘Beloved Sky’ (2009) and ‘The Orange Suit’ (2011).

‘The Cycle’ (1978) was screened in many international festivals in Paris, Berlin, Spain’s Valladolid, Canada’s Ontario, Boston museum of fine arts, Hong Kong International Film Festival and France.

He won the best film Bronze award at Houston International Film Festival, thirds award from Tokyo International Film Festival and best directing crystal Simorgh of Fajr International Film Festival for ‘Hamoon’ (1989).

‘Sara’ (1992) won the Fajr International Film Festival Crystal Simorgh of best screenplay and other awards at San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, Nantes Film Festival in France and Sao Paolo film Festival in Brazil.

‘Pari’ (1994) won the crystal simorgh for best directing from Fajr International Film Festival, and ‘Leila’ (1996) won the best directing and screenplay award at Iran’s Cinema Celebration.

‘To Stay Alive’ (2001) won the special prize at Brussels Film Festival in Belgium and ‘Mom's Guest’ (2003) won the best film award at the 22nd International Fajr Film Festival.

Mehrjoui has also tried his hand at scene and clothes designing, art manager and editing.

He has translated and written many books on cinema.

ES/AG