Brazil premieres Iran ‘White Chairs’

The 41st edition of the International Sao Paulo Film Festival (Mostra) has premiered Iranian filmmaker Reza Dormishian’s ‘White Chairs’ in Brazil.

Held last week in Sao Paulo, Mostra screened the acclaimed Iranian director’s fourth feature film which was welcomed by the audience in all five screening sessions.

Dormishian who has also written the screenplay and did the cinematography of the movie, produced it in English language in New Zealand.

Mathew Joils, Emily Hurley, Michael Adams, and Stephen R. Caran are among the cast of ‘White Chairs’, an Iran-New Zealand production.

It tells the story of Mat and Emily who have both lost their families in the Christchurch earthquake and they both live alone. They are in love though they never dare to talk to each other; the relationship exists only in their minds.

Brazilian film critic Vitor Guimaraes has written a piece on the movie in Observatorio Do Cinema, a cinema professional website, describing it as a beautiful surprise that is worth to be conferred for its sensitivity.

He wrote “One of the best experiences that can occur with a movie buff when following a film festival is to be surprised by a movie that was completely off their radar. And that is exactly what happened to me with ‘White Chairs’, a co-production between Iran and New Zealand.”

“Composed of so many silences and soliloquies, Dormishian’s film has a contemplative mood for its narration and explores the characters’ feelings towards each other and their losses,” Guimaraes continued.

The Brazilian critic also noted “If the story leaves a little to be desired in its development, on the other hand, the imaginative inventiveness and good sound work end up compensating in this sensitive narrative that accompanies two people united by the loss”.

Mostra is an annual film festival held in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a non-profit event, the festival was launched in 1977.

The 41st edition of the Mostra was held from October 19 to November 1, 2017.

MG/MMF