ifilm exclusive report on 'Abajan'

Watch ifilm's exclusive report on the movie ‘Abajan’, directed by Hatef Alimardani and starring Shabnam Moqaddami.

The film takes place in the 1980s when Iranians welcomed the Islamic Revolution, while facing against the Iraqi-imposed war on the country.

ifilm: Shabnam Moghaddami has taken a role in this movie that is completely different from her previous projects.

Moghaddami: My record shows that I don’t take on repetitive roles; I don’t take on roles that are not challenging. I always try to take the roles that are interesting both for the audience and for me as the person portraying the role.

The character that I portray in this movie isn’t like me at all. We are very different given where Shamsi lives, her behavior, culture and language; all of these.

Mastering each one of these was a big challenge for me. I hope that I was able to represent that character well. This is what the audience has to decide; those who see the film.

ifilm: Shabnam Moghaddami is not ethnically Azeri but she has mastered Shamsi’s accent with her own talents.

Moghaddami: For every role, an actor creates a puzzle for him/herself; to place that part. A part of it is taken from society, our surroundings, what we see in society; and as actors we have to pay close attention. Another part of it is taken from reading, field research.

Even on those days that I didn’t have to work, I would wander the streets of Zanjan and talk to the people so I could keep the melody of the Azeri dialect in mind. I did this so that I could be able to utter the dialect properly because as you know it is very difficult due to its phonemes and pitches. As soon as you open your mouth, the listeners recognize how familiar you are with it.

I don’t know whether I was successful or not but those who are ethnic Azeris or those who were present on the scene or Hatef Alimardani, who is an ethnic Azeri, or those who have seen the film here in Tehran, they told me that I did a good job.

I tried my best to get close to Shamsi’s culture, world, language and geography. I don’t know how else to portray a role.

I mean if I’m not able to get close to a character, if I’m far from her, then I can’t play the part. This goes for the character of Shamsi and all the other roles that I’ve taken so far.

With regards to Shamsi, it was a bit more difficult. As you said, she’s a very different person that I am.

To tell you the truth, most of the characters that I’ve played so far have been very different from who I am as a person.

And the reason is that I prefer to live another person’s life. I’m living my life myself.

ifilm: Hatef Alimardani, the director, is the kind of director that usually makes movies about society and social problems, but now his main concern is about the war imposed on Iran.

Alimardani: I’ve already mentioned that ‘Abajan’ is not a film about the Sacred Defense.

It narrates a part of history, a turning point in history that had effects on everyone’s lives. In fact, war was an inevitable event that happened in that decade and we can’t deny it.

I spoke of the war in the movie alongside the lives of the people that experienced it.

The film recounts the life of people during those years after the Islamic Revolution and the start of war.

AI/AG