India filmfest screening 5 Iran titles

The 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa has been screening five movies from Iran.

The festival has been set to screen ‘Breath’ by Narges Abyar, ‘Disappearance’ by Ali Asgari, ‘High Noon Story’ (Midday Adventure) by Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian, and ‘No Date, No Signature’ by Vahid Jalilvand in the Cinema of the World section.

‘Breath’ went on the Indian screen on November 25 and 26, 2017. It is about a little Iranian girl who lives a life spun from folklore and stories, always with her head in a book. She is at the centre of a country in turmoil. Over the years, she finds that daydreaming is the only way that she can cope with the pain and suffering that warring humans inflict on one another.

‘Disappearance’ was screened on November 22 and 26. It tells the story of a cold winter night, when a young couple run into a serious problem and they have just a few hours to come up with a solution. They go from hospital to hospital in search of help, but none of the hospitals will admit the young woman.

Screening sessions for ‘High Noon Story’ were set for November 26 and 27. It reviews the events after the dismissal of an Iranian ex-president by the parliament when terrorist groups began to assassinate the officials. The government and the revolutionary guards were after the terrorists.

‘No Date, No Signature’ will go on the Indian screen on November 27. It narrates the story of a forensic pathologist who has a car accident with a motorcyclist and injures his 8-year-old son. He offers to take the child to a clinic nearby, but the father refuses his help and money. In the hospital, the pathologist finds out that the little boy has been brought for an autopsy after a suspicious death.

The festival will also screen ‘A Man of Integrity’ (Lerd) in the International Competition section on November 27 and 28. It chronicles a man who leads a simple life along with his wife and child in a remote village in Northern Iran. A private company controls nearly every aspect of regional life. Under their pressure many villagers have themselves become part of the existing corruption, but the man strives to resist coercion and preserve his farm.

Founded in 1952, the IFFI is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.

The festival is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Directorate of Film Festivals and the Government of Goa.

The 48th edition of the IFFI has been slated for November 20-28, 2017, in Panjim Goa.

MG/MG