Ammar Popular filmfest honors French writer Claire Joubert

The 11th edition of the Ammar Popular Film Festival has paid tribute to Tehran-based French writer and illustrator Claire Joubert.

The special award of the festival Nane Esmat Gloves was presented to the French writer during the closing ceremony of the festival.

Born in Paris in 1961, Joubert was brought up in a Christian family. She converted to Islam at the age of nineteen and immigrated to Iran when she got married.

She illustrates her stories herself. Her works are preoccupied with issues such as faith and religion, identity, children’s relations with their surroundings, etc. Most of the writer’s works are for primary-age children.

She is also interested in doing research on children’s literature and philosophy for children. She writes both in Persian and French and has published some French books in Lebanon and France.

Joubert has written many books in Persian, including ‘In Search of God’, ‘God’s Cookies’, ‘Goodbye, Old Raccoon’, ‘The Little Mouse’s Prayer’, ‘The Stories of the Little Green Lizard’, and ‘The Most Trustworthy Friend’.

The Ammar festival also honored Iranian film producer Mahmoud Razavi who has been the producer of some acclaimed movies such as ‘Blood Trap’ and ‘Standing in the Dust’.

The Golden Lantern for Best Documentary on National Memory went to ‘Fourteenth Province’ directed by Mohsen Karimian.

‘Qezel Qaya’ by Siamak Mokhtari received the Golden Lantern for Best Documentary on Social Monitoring and Refinement.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all screenings were streamed online via Ammaryar platform.

A lineup of 17 films was screened at the official competition section of the event.

The APFF goes against the promotion of “individualism and extreme enjoyment without caring about the society's troubles and other human suppression,” the event’s official website noted.

The public screenings of the selected films will be held in autumn 2021 in various Iranian cities.

The festival also enjoys an international version (AIPFF) which aims “to raise real awareness and responsibility among the general public,” the AIPFF website reads, adding that the event’s mission is to create an atmosphere in which independent filmmakers and thinkers can gather together.

MG/AG