Sharjah children filmfest screening Iran-Canada ‘Magralen’

The 2019 edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFF) in the UAE has been screening Iran-Canada co-production ‘Magralen’.

Directed by Iranian filmmaker Maryam Zarei, the short film has made it into the competition section of the 7th SIFF.

“An incident disrupts the family's shaky order. Children who are struggling to cope with that incident are trying to find their own way. The elder brother tries to portray the bitter reality in a different way to his sister,” the film’s synopsis reads.

‘Magralen’ narrates the story of a family that lives in a car cemetery.

The family’s young daughter, who is blind, has made a car in the automobile graveyard in which they spend their days along with her elder brother.

The junkyard becomes a formula 1 race track for younger sister who is listening to the brother.

While their parents quarrel, gesticulating silently, the brother depicts a colorful happy world in which the sister can grow up without worry.

Even when their mother suddenly abandons the family, the brother playfully maintains his version of hopeful reality.

‘Magralen’ has taken part at some global events, including the 69th Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) in Germany and the 19th Odense International Film Festival in Denmark.

Other Iran representatives at this edition of the SIFF are Fereydoun Najafi’s ‘The Skier’, Lida Fazli’s ‘This Side-Other Side’, Mohammad Bakhshi’s ‘Are You Volleyball?!’, and Abbas Amini’s ‘Hendi & Hormoz’.

The SIFF was launched in 2013. It is the first children & youth film festival in the UAE, dedicated to enhance the media literacy of children and youth, foster children’s & youth’s creativity and showcase the very best in filmmaking for, by and about children and young people.

The 7th SIFF has been slated for October 13-18, 2019.

MG/AG