Iranian actor challenges US President Donald Trump

Iranian actor Vahid Rad has challenged the US President Donald Trump during a photocall at the 75th edition of the Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Walking at the photocall for Mostafa Sayyari's debut 'As I Lay Dying', Rad showed his palm bearing an inscription in English reading, “I don’t have a gun in my hand Mr. Trump, do you?”

The anti-war message to the US President which was conveyed on Thursday has grabbed the media attention worldwide.

‘As I Lay Dying’ will represent Iran at the competition section of Horizons to vie with 18 other titles from Italy, the US, Thailand, India, Kazakhstan, Uruguay, Brazil, Turkey, France, Russia and Indonesia.

It is loosely based on a novel with the same name written by American author William Faulkner.

The feature tells the story of a broken-apart family that take a trip to the south of Iran upon their father’s will. The recently-deceased father had asked his offspring to bury him in a village where they have never heard anything about.

The 73-minute film's main cast include Nader Fallah, Elham Korda, Majid Aqakarimi, Vahid Rad, and Mohammad Rabbani.

Founded in 1932, the Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia) is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the Big Three film festivals alongside the Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival.

The 75th edition of the Venice International Film Festival has been slated for August 29-September 8, 2018.

MG/MMF