Cinema Vérité reveals int’l short films lineup

The 15th edition of the Cinema Vérité, Iran’s major international documentary festival, has announced the lineup of foreign short films.

The highlights of the lineup includes films from Finland, Poland, Switzerland, France and the US.

‘The Fantastic’ by Maija Blafield from Finland is about North Korea that exiles reminisce over their first impressions of watching forbidden foreign films.

‘My Country, So Beautiful’ by Polish director Grzegorz Paprzycki is a documentary portrait of Poland, in which two forces clash representing completely different worldviews: the left wing vision of the country against the homogeneous Poland built by the extreme right. Among these ideologies - people who fight in the name of their own values and principles, there is one main disagreement - nationalism.

Swiss filmmaker Aylin Gökmen’s ‘Spirits and Rocks: An Azorean Myth’ is set on a volcanic island, where the inhabitants are caught in an unending cycle: the threat of impending eruptions and earthquakes, and the burden of past traumas loom over them. Some draw upon myth and religious beliefs to interpret their precarious situation, while others demonstrate resilience, rebuilding their villages from the volcanic rocks. Mirroring the ethereal atmosphere of the island’s landscapes, the film gradually takes on the appearance of the stories it recounts.

Hovig Hagopian’s ‘Storgetnya’, a co-production from France and Armenia, is about a doctor in a lab coat and a safety helmet who orders her patients to hop and swing their arms in the dimly lit caverns of an Armenian salt mine, 230 meters underground. In this magically bizarre world, mineral-rich air is supposed to cure their respiratory problems.

‘We Have One Heart’ by Polish director Katarzyna Warzecha is about Adam. When he discovers letters his parents exchanged years ago, he takes advantage of the opportunity to find out more about his father, who he never knew, uncovering an extraordinary family secret.

The other titles in the competition are ‘The Game’ by Roman Hodel from Switzerland, ‘I Don’t Feel at Home Anywhere Anymore’ by Viv Li from Belgium, ‘The Hole’s Journey’ by Ghita Skali from the Netherlands, ‘In Flow of Words’ by Eliane Esther Bots from the Netherlands, ‘Imagining My Father’ by Emil Norgaard Munk from Denmark, and ‘A Year in Exile’ by Malaz Usta from Turkey.

Presided by Mohammad Hamidi-Moqaddam, the 2021 edition of the Cinema Vérité received more than 2,600 works from 73 countries.

It will be held in seven sections of national and international contests, presenting Shahid Avini Award, national and international side sections, a special section of Iran 1400, and specialized workshops.

The international competition consists of three sections including up to 40 minutes (Short Competition Section), 40 to 60 minutes (Mid-Length Competition Section) and 60 minutes and up (Full-Length Competition Section).

The Documentary and Experimental Film Centre (DEFC) organizes the event annually.

The festival showcases the very best of the documentary world in an attempt to bridge the gap between reality and truth.

Due to the spread of coronavirus, the 2021 edition of the Cinema Vérité will be held online on December 9-16.

MG/MG