ifilm's exclusive with Mahchehreh Khalili

Iranian actress Mahchehreh Khalili speaks to ifilm in an exclusive interview about her artistic practice and the projects she is currently involved in.

Mahchehreh Khalili is among those actresses who shot to fame right after her acting debut in the Iranian cinema. She acted perfectly in ‘The Black Eyes’ movie and is granddaughter to late Iranian actress, Parvin Soleiman. Khalili says that her grandmother pulled no strings for her and the actress made her way to the top on her own.  

She has performed in a number of movies, including ‘Mask’ (2004), ‘The Havana Brief’ (2004), ‘The Mouse’ (2008), ‘St. Petersburg’ (2009), ‘Death is my Business’ (2010), ‘Network’ (2010) as well as ‘Sufferance and Ecstasy’ (2013).

Some of the series in which she has appeared in include ‘In the Eye of the Storm’ (2003-2009), ‘The Rise of Mokhtar’ (2004-2009) and ‘The Pahlavi Hat’ (2012-2013).

She also makes short and documentary films.

Below is a rough translation of selected parts from the interview conducted by ifilm in Persian:

ifilm: For a starter and in conjunction with Iran cinema spring during Fajr Festival, can you talk a little bit about the Festival and let us know if you have any movie in the festival?

Khalili: I played in ‘Wishbone’ and ‘Eshnougel’ that attended Fajr Film Festival. I am delighted to have played roles in these two films present in the festival. ‘Wishbone’ narrates the life story of Iranian football player Naser Mohammadkhani. I have a different role in the movie. Also, the second film is related to  175 martyred divers in Iran which features me as a female Mojahed (a member of the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization)

ifilm: If possible, please shed more light on ‘Eshnougel’?

Khalili: I have sported a different look for the movie and played the role of a Mojahed with a flashback to 30 years ago. I am eager for the Fajr Film Festival to start and would love to watch my films on the big screen since I haven’t had the chance to watch them yet.  

ifilm: Currently, have you got any offer to star in new movies?

Khalili: Given that I plan to make films, I have put aside my acting offers.

ifilm: What is the theme of the film you are trying to make?

The film narates the story of my grandmother and I wanted to make it 8 years ago, but I stopped working on it due to her death. Hopefully, the movie will be ready for the next Fajr Film Festival.

ifilm: Do you think you can win a Crystal Simorgh at Fajr Film Festival?

Khalili: The roles I played in the movies at Fajr Festival are both absorbing and challenging. I hope they will grab attention of the judges as well as the audience.

AG/AG