ifilm's exclusive report on Iranian feature ‘The Home’ (Ev)

Watch ifilm's exclusive report on the Iranian feature film ‘The Home’ (Ev) directed by Asghar Yousefi-Nejad, starring Mohaddeseh Heyrat.

The following are brief highlights of the report.

ifilm: This is the first feature film by Asghar Yousefi-Nejad; however, he does have quite a resume in producing television programs.

Yousefi-Nejad: I graduated in film directing from the University of IRIB in 1993 and began working as a director for IRIB two years later.

For about nine years, I made projects like documentaries and short narratives for Azerbaijan’s IRIB station, and from 2003 to 2014 when I retired, I made narratives.

I made series and telefilms and all these were experiences for me to make us of later on with regards to feature films, which was among my main goals in filmmaking.

ifilm: Asghar Yousefi-Nejad took three risks in making this movie. The first one was the theme of this movie, which is a bit bitter and the audiences might not like the bitterness of this movie.

Yousefi-Nejad: Well, I think the audience doesn’t welcome a film based on its theme and tone, but based on the honesty of the filmmaker. First, I tried to be honest with myself and then the audience. I’m not sure how successful I was. My principle objective for filmmaking, whether when I was working for the IRIB or now that I can work on more personal issues, is honesty. I don’t think much about how many audiences I have, the quality matter to me more. I don’t categorize my audience into the jury, film critics or audiences.

ifilm: Mohaddeseh Heyrat is the lead actress in this movie and she didn’t audition for this role and she wasn’t interested in acting at all.

Heyrat: With regards to the cinema industry, I should say that first I had no interest in the cinema industry at all; I wasn’t even interested in being in front of the camera because I used to think that it would be much more difficult than being in a theatrical play.

Yousefi-Nejad: I am really interested in working with theater actors. Usually in the programs that I make for television, I like working with those who star in theater plays and have learned acting properly, especially those who have learned acting academically.

MG/AI