Theater, screenwriting events wrap up in Urmia Lake

The Urmia Lake Revitalization Festival has successfully wrapped theater and screenwriting programs in Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province.

The 2nd edition of the Urmia Lake Revitalization Festival covered different sections of the arts, including photography, movies, poetry, painting, caricature and calligraphy.

This year’s edition also included theater and screenwriting for the first time.

“Local theater artists submitted 20 works in a short time after the call was issued, which proved that theater is a driving force for creativity,” said Ahmad Rajab Pour, event secretary.

‘Dam’ (Moment) by Naqi Hayaei, ‘Oou ba shomast’ (He is With You) by Amin Haji Akbari, ‘Samfoni-e ashkhay-e Narikhteh’ (Symphony of Unshed Tears) by Mohammad Hossein Davoudi, and ‘Avay-e Baran’ (Sound of Rain) by Jahangir Chalaki were among the shows staged at the festival - all of which focused on the current environmental situation of the lake.

Submissions came from as far away as the cities of Tabriz, Bonab, Marand and Ahar, among which the jury selected 12 works for the three-day event.

Urmia Lake is currently undergoing an environmental disaster, with the festival aimed at highlighting the role and position of art and artisans in introducing the importance of the lake. The festival is also aimed at motivating artists to propose innovative problem-solving methods, and to strengthen and motivate national capabilities and public responsibility in respect to the environmental crisis.

Thanks to restoration projects and international help, efforts to revive Lake Urmia are slowly paying back.

Urmia Lake is shared between the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan in Iran.

The 2nd edition of the Urmia Lake Revitalization Festival was held in Tabriz City Theater Hall and ended on Wednesday. The winners of the theater event will be awarded at the closing ceremony today.

AI/AI