Iran short on way to Bangladesh fest

The Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) in Bangladesh has been slated to screen Iranian feature film ‘The Cocoon and Butterfly’.

Mohammad Salehinejad’s movie will be on screen at the Children Film Section of the Bangladeshi event’s 20th edition.

‘The Cocoon and Butterfly’ is about Parvaneh, a seven-year-old girl who is disabled and unable to attend school. Yavar, a pupil of second grade, tries to teach her at home. Meanwhile, Parvaneh’s father disagrees.

The movie won the best film award at the 50th Roshd International Film Festival, promoting films on educational topics for children. 

It has also taken part in the Cinekid Film Festival in the Netherlands and the Busan Int’l Kids and Youth Film Festival in S. Korea.

Since 1977, the DIFF has been promoting a healthy culture in the film industry in Bangladesh with the main theme of “Better Film, Better Audience, Better Society”.

Some 200 films from 60 countries compete at the DIFF in the following categories: Asian Competition Section, Retrospective, Bangladesh Panorama, Cinema of the World, Children’s Film, Short and Independent Film, Women Filmmakers Section, and Spiritual Films Section.

The festival’s website states the “DIFF is a bold expression of resistance against the decadence, vulgarity and cheap commercialism that pervades the mainstream Bangladesh film industry”.

The 20th edition of Dhaka fest is scheduled for January 15-23, 2022.

AA/FM