Shanghai filmfest picks 11 Iranian films

A lineup of 11 movies from Iran has been competing at the 25th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.

‘The Annoyed’, ‘1.5 Horsepower’, ‘Cause of Death: Unknown’, ‘Dolphin Boy’ and ‘The Passion of Mahmoud’ are being screened at different categories of the festival.

Written and directed by Mehdi Fard-Qaderi, ‘The Annoyed’ is being showcased at the official competition.

The drama is about three directors trying to make a film about the social problems of violence and abuse against women and executions.

‘1.5 Horsepower’ by Rasoul Kahani and ‘Cause of Death: Unknown’ by Ali Zarnegar have been selected for the Asian New Talent category.

‘Dolphin Boy’ by Mohammad Kheirandish is competing at the animation section.

In this movie, a little boy survives a plane crash and is rescued by a young wild dolphin. They grow up together, entertaining marine life with their funny tricks. One day, the peace of their joyful world is destroyed by an evil octopus.

‘The Passion of Mahmoud’ by Davoud Abdolmaleki is being screened at the documentary competition.

‘World War III’, ‘Leila’s Brothers’, ‘Scent of Wind’ and ‘No Bear’ have been showcased in the Viva la Festival section, which is dedicated to reviewing the latest award-winning or nominated films from the world’s major film festivals.

Directed by Houman Seyyedi, ‘World War III’ was Iran’s submission to the 2023 Oscars.

The film depicts Shakib, a hapless day laborer who finds himself cast in a film about the Nazi regime while hiding his girlfriend who is fleeing from her exploiters.

The film has been screened at numerous international events, including the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Orizzonti Award for best film and the Orizzonti Award for best actor for Tanabandeh for his portrayal of Shakib. 

Another highlight of the lineup is ‘Scent of Wind’ directed by Hadi Mohaqeq.

The film was the opening film of the 2022 Busan International Film Festival and won the Kim Jiseok Award.

The film’s story is set in a distant Iranian village where a paralyzed man collects herbal medicine in the mountains for making his living with his sick child. The electricity goes off in his house and an electrician comes to fix it. Unfortunately, the problem is bigger than what was anticipated and may take days to be resolved. When he sees the child on the sickbed, he feels committed to doing whatever he can to bring the electricity back. However, he has a tough job ahead with facing nature and some unexpected events.  

It was also the winner of the Silver Balloon (Montgolfière d’Argent) award of the 2022 Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.

Winner of the grand prize at the 36th Venice International Film Critics’ Week, ‘Zalava’, Arsalan Amiri’s directorial feature debut, is being screened at the Spectrum-Midnight Fantasy category.

The film presents a brilliant examination of faith, science and tradition based on stories told to him by his father.

In 1978, the inhabitants of a small village in Iran called Zalava claimed there is a demon among them. Masoud, a young gendarmerie sergeant who investigates this claim, encounters an exorcist attempting to rid the village of the demon. When he arrests the exorcist on charges of fraud, the villagers’ fear and anger escalate. Masoud and his love interest, a government doctor, soon find themselves trapped in a cursed house, surrounded by villagers who believe they are both possessed by the demon.

Director Mohammad-Reza Aslani’s 1976 drama ‘The Chess Game of the Wind’ is being reviewed at the SIFF Classics-4K Restoration section.

In this film, the first lady of a noble house has died and now there is conflict among those remaining over the distribution of her inheritance.

The upcoming Shanghai International Film Festival, scheduled for June 9-18 in China, marks the first fully physical edition since the onset of the pandemic.

This year's festival will welcome international guests, making it an exciting and anticipated event for film enthusiasts worldwide.

MG/AG