37th Fajr Film Festival honors 23 war veterans

The 37th Fajr Film Festival has honored 23 war-veterans of award-winning flick ‘23 People’.

During the closing ceremony of the latest edition of the Fajr film Festival, the stars of the film and some of the real 23 people, whose wartime captivity has been the essence of the film, were called to the stage and honored. The audience gave them a standing ovation in a symbolic gesture to appreciate all their sacrifices.

ifilm series ‘Neighbors’ star Gohar Kheirandish delivered a speech paying homage to the film and the real heroes behind it saying, “I am sure that this film will be a best-seller and throughout the film I shed tears.” She went on saying that Molla Saleh has been captive and has gone though a lot and now I bow before him.

Besides all these, the film was awarded the Golden Simorgh for Best Film from National View.

’23 People’ manifests the bravery and heroism of some 23 teenage boys who were prisoners of Iraq-Iran war.

The gravity of their selflessness for their country has been the reason for a number of authors and filmmakers to develop projects about them.

In 1983, a group of teenage soldiers who had enrolled to defend their homeland got arrested by Iraqi army. Attempting to show how youngsters were unwillingly sent to the war, Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president of the time, put on a show and masqueraded as a defender of people’s rights giving the boys flowers and promising them to be freed soon.

His plans went in vain as the 23 heroes of the story went on a hunger strike which cost them eight years of incarceration.

AA/MG