Hiroshima, Tokyo to screen Iranian films on peace

Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Tokyo have been scheduled to screen a number of Iranian movies on the sidelines of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony.

Commemorating the anniversary of the tragedy of the US atomic bomb attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the ceremony will be held on August 6 every year.

Iran’s Cultural Office in Tokyo announced in a press release published on Friday that the films will be screened in Hiroshima on August 6 and 7, and later Tokyo on August 8 and 9.

Notable among the movies to be screened are Abdolhassan Barzideh’s ‘Mazar Sharif’, Majid Majidi’s ‘Muhammad, the Messenger of God’, Danesh Eqbashavi’s ‘Taj Mahal’ and Kamal Tabrizi’s ‘Lizard’.

‘Mazar Sharif’ narrates the story of the Taliban’s attack on the Iranian Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, in 1998 that resulted in the martyrdom of some Iranian diplomats.

Majidi’s movie portrays the life of Islam’s Holy Prophet (PBUH) and narrates the early years of his prophecy in Mecca. This is the first part of a trilogy which seems to cover the whole life of the Prophet.

‘Taj Mahal’ chronicles the story of an old man living in the southern Iranian city of Abadan who deals with a problem that leads him to do some actions against his beliefs.

‘The Lizard’ is about a recently jailed petty thief who disguises as a clergyman and succeeds in escaping; but, he has to stay in the cleric role longer than he expected. Its actor, Parviz Parastoui, is also expected to attend the program.

The head of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony said the screening program is a good occasion to introduce Iranian movies to interested Japanese fans and the program can help put a spotlight on Iranian victims of several violent attacks in which Iraq used chemical weapons during the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran.

Founded in 1994 by Shizuko Tsuya, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony is an annual Japanese vigil to console the victims of the atomic bombs and to pray for the realization of lasting world peace.

MG/AI