Afkhami making doc on Martyred Leader’s funeral

Iranian filmmaker Behrouz Afkhami has been making a documentary about the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“Some forty years ago, I made a film about the people who had traveled from extremely remote areas to reach Tehran for the funeral of Imam Khomeini (RA). At that time, all transportation was overwhelmed, and those who managed to arrive from border regions were truly remarkable figures with incredible stories of how they navigated obstacles to reach the capital,” Afkhami said.

He also noted that “Back then, we visited those border areas and found some of these individuals. They were so clever and adventurous, recounting fascinating stories about their journey and how they overcame various hurdles.”

“Drawing on that previous experience, the subject of this documentary is individuals coming from other countries, such as France, the US, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, to attend the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, despite the many difficulties they face, including the lack of available flights,” the director explained about his new documentary,

Adding that the filming has already begun in Tehran, he said: “Our plan is to identify individuals intending to travel to Iran through embassies, cultural centers, or personal contacts, and attempt to film them from their point of departure. We will then accompany and engage with them inside Iran, following the course of events leading up to the funeral to document their experiences.”

“I proposed the name ‘Champion of the World’ for this documentary because, in my opinion, the Martyred Leader was initially recognized as the ‘Champion of Iran,’ but he is now known as the ‘Champion of the World’,” Afkhami stated.