Amsterdam doc fest screening Iranian titles

The 2019 edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in the Netherlands has been screening Iranian titles.

The Iranian lineup includes ‘Anticlockwise’, ‘Asho’, ‘The Forbidden Strings’, ‘Nerd_Funk’, ‘Sunless Shadows’, and ‘The Unseen’.

The 49-minute ‘Anticlockwise’ by Jalal Vafaee is about the director’s father, a devoted watchmaker in the Iranian city of Hamadan, who was on the side of the Islamic Revolution in his younger years.

He has now become a democratic reformist, and is obsessed with the political news. From his shop he tries to find a way to deal with his disappointment in politics.

Vafaee tells the story of his family from 2011 to 2019, showing how their world has radically changed.

The 72-minute ‘The Forbidden Strings’ by Hassan Nouri is a coproduction of Iran, Afghanistan and Qatar.

It’s about a group that has been making music together for years, despite the disapproval of the people around them. They are the only young immigrants in Iran who have formed a rock band. All they miss now is an opportunity to play live.

As the title suggests, they face quite a few challenges along the way. All four band members are children of Afghan parents who fled to Iran, and that means they face dangers if they return to their homeland. Their families are worried about them.

The 9-minute ‘Nerd_Funk’ by Ali Eslami and Mamali Shafahi is a coproduction of, France, Iran, and the Netherlands.

It’s about the digital culture all around us and how it has changed our lives fundamentally and irreversibly. Although the change has already happened, we’re still trying to come to grips with it.

The 2019 edition of the IDFA has been slated for November 20-December 1.

MG/AG