Iranian lineup of int’l sections at Cinema Vérité announced

The 15th edition of the Cinema Vérité, Iran’s major international documentary festival, has announced the lineup of Iranian films for its international competition sections.

The lineup includes seven films by Alireza Rasoulinejad, Jafar Najafi, Alireza Memariani, Mikaeel Dayyani, Mohammad-Sadeq Esmaeeli, Mehdi Zamanpour, Narges Joudaki and Iman Paknahad.

Rasoulinejad’s ‘Eastwood’ shows how a picture in an old newspaper sends the director on a mission to the Iranian city of Sirjan to find the Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood. Wearing a motorcycle helmet and embarking on his impossible journey like an Iranian Don Quixote, he lets his dreams be his guide to the dusty desert landscapes, which are straight out of “A Fistful of Dollars” if only you didn’t know better. But maybe Clint is actually out there? All the locals are on first-name terms with him anyway in the deadpan satire of Hollywood’s cultural dominance, not just in the West, but all the way out in the Iranian villages. But just like any journey is a goal in itself, his chance encounters and quaint ideas help shape the director’s playful but sincere film, which (self-)ironically stands in stark contrast to the masculine action star to whom it is so passionately dedicated.

Najafi’s ‘Makeup Artist’ is about Mina, a makeup artist who is determined to realize her dreams. Not only she refuses to succumb to her husband and mother-in-law’s fierce opposition, but also paves her own path and pushes forward along it. Gradually, it looks as if the people and world around her are starting to change.

Memariani’s ‘Broken Bones’ is about the wild life and the hope in the hearts of those who sacrifice to save the nature and environment.

Zamanpour’s ‘Water, Wind, Dust, Bread’ tells the story of 11-year-old Abolfazl who lives with his family in an oasis in the Iranian desert. He picks dates, tends to his family’s cows, does his homework, and has fun with his best friend Setayesh. The camera quietly observes their friendship as they swing between the date palms or climb the windswept rocks around the oasis. Abolfazl’s mother bakes fresh bread, and tourists come to her guesthouse for the serene atmosphere. But life in the oasis is not entirely idyllic. Although Abolfazl lives with a physical disability, it is Setayesh who faces an even bigger hurdle. She is one of the 40,000 children in Iran who don’t have a birth certificate, and as a result, she can’t go to school.

The other titles are Dayyani’s ‘Children of the Dirty Ground’, Esmaeeli’s ‘Gislu’, and ‘Dear Bibi’ by Joudaki and Paknahad.

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.

The 2021 edition of the Cinema Vérité will be held online on December 9-16.

MG/MG