“You know nothing about our country. Come in, be entertained and learn” is the collective claim of a group of young Iranian film-makers whose work has been produced by Maziar Bahari with the support of the BBC World Service Trust. Iranian cinema has long been attracting international attention, with films like Jafar Pahani’s Offside and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis singled out for particular praise in recent years.
“A Night in Tehran” showcases the work of 3 brand new film-makers who want to introduce a “new” Iran 30 years after the Iranian revolution. Catch screenings in London, Bristol and Manchester – including an introduction by Channel 4 News Presenter Jon Snow at the London showing (times and booking details below).
A Night in Tehran
Ala Mohseni’s My City, Pizza shows the fascination of Tehranis with pizza as something more than just a food in Iran. It is a sign of modernity and an object of desire, which is a potential threat against traditional values.
Shahriar Siami’s Of Men and Motorcycles follows the life of Abbas, a migrant from the provinces who, like many young Iranians, can’t get a decent job except working on a motorcycle as a cabbie and deliveryman. Abbas endangers his life, and the life of his passengers, by navigating in heavy Tehran traffic in order to send back money to his wife and two children who still live in a small town.
Sahar Salahshoori’s Behind the Wheel of Life is the story of another cab driver, Nasrin, a single mother. Salahshoori’s incredible access to her character allows us to follow the daily struggle of Nasrin as a woman, a cab driver and a divorcee. Presented in conjunction with Maziar Bahari’s and Malu Halasa’s anthology of new writing and images, Transit Tehran, Young Iran and its Inspirations, these films open a window to sides of Iran which are rarely covered in media reports about the country. So come in, be entertained, and learn more…
My City Pizza | director Ala Mohseni | 26 min | 2008 | Iran/UK
Of Men and Motorcycles | director Shahriar Siami | 26 mins | 2008 | Iran/UK
Behind the Wheel of Life | director Sahar Salahshoori Sahar | 26 min | 2008 | Iran/UK
Bristol Watershed, Wednesday 4th February 2009, 6.00pm + Q&A with director Shahriar Siami and writer Malu Halasa. Box office 0117 927 5100, www.watershed.co.uk, £6/£4.50 conc
London Renoir Cinema, Thursday 5th February 2009, 7.00pm + Q&A with Channel Four news presenter Jon Snow, director Shahriar Siami, Maziar Bahari and Malu Halasa. Box office 0871 7033 99, www.curzoncinemas.com, £8/7 conc
Manchester Cornerhouse, Friday 6th February, 6.25pm + Q&A with Maziar Bahari and Malu Halasa. Box office 0161 200 1500, www.cornerhouse.org, £7/£5 conc
6 February, 2009 at 10:08 am
[...] Author: Jon Snow|Posted: 10:07 am on 06/02/09 Category: Cinema, Middle East | Tags: Iran I am at the Renoir cinema in London’s Bloomsbury. My friend and colleague the Iranian cameraman/director Maziar Bahari has produced three films and we are there to discuss them: Of Men and Motorcycles, Behind the Wheel of Life, and My City, Pizza. [...]