India festival to host ‘Bench Cinema’

Iran film ‘Bench Cinema’ directed by Mohammad Rahmanian has been selected to screen at the Iranian Film Festival in India.

The film will be screened alongside others from Iran in the three-day event, which takes place in the Indian city of Nagpur from March 30-April 1.

‘Bench Cinema’ is about a film lover who rents out illegal videotapes and gets arrested. Whilst in prison, he meets a voice actor, whom gives him an address to the Chamber of Treasure that holds a great collection of classic films.

Following his release, he spends months watching the films and memorizes all the lines. He then travels around to perform the films as a one man show on a bench. Gradually, he forms a theatre group called Cinema Bench, with a street violinist, an insomniac visual artist, and a former actress.

Starring Houman Barqnavard, Hossein Erfani and Ashkan Khatibi, the 117-minute movie is a comedy drama.

The Iranian Film Festival in India will also hold a panel discussion on ‘Understanding Iranian Cinema and Its Development’.

The festival has been organized in association with Cine-Montage and Chitnavis Centre, and has been conceptualized by the Cultural House of the Republic of Iran in India and the Federation of Film Societies of India.

AI/AI