Iranian film festival kicks off

Published February 15, 2018
A SCENE from one of the films screened at the Iranian Culture Centre on Wednesday.—White Star
A SCENE from one of the films screened at the Iranian Culture Centre on Wednesday.—White Star

KARACHI: A week-long Iranian film festival kicked off on Wednesday at the Iranian Cultural Centre, opening up to Pakistani audiences an unfamiliar world.

Different Iranian productions, internationally acclaimed, are set to be screened at the cultural centre to allow a more meaningful exchange between the two countries. All the movies instead of having subtitles were dubbed into Urdu.

The chief guest at the festival was actor Javed Sheikh who expressed his desire to see cultural exchanges between Iran and Pakistan, especially in the film world, which is a sure-shot way to improve bilateral ties between the two countries.

The language barrier can be a deterrent for people to watch such movies, and the decision to dub the movies rather than include subtitles was a good idea, the senior actor observed. In this way, just like audiences were drawn to Turkish dramas dubbed in Urdu, they would also enjoy watching Iranian films.

Mr Sheikh even hoped he could at some point in his career work in an Iranian film.

“Iran is an example where the government did not shut down the film industry but instead encouraged it to pick up meaningful themes and still keep Islam in view when making films,” he said.

The director general of the Iranian Cultural Centre, Dr Raza Baqri, spoke about how social causes and the battles of real life are usually the premise of most Iranian films, which is a clear departure from most film industries around the world. Not only are the stories of a superior quality, but so is the execution which is why the Iranian film industry in being recognised the world over and winning accolades.

He explained the evolution of Iranian cinema before and after the Islamic Revolution.

“Before the revolution most of the movies featured a lot of violence, misbehaviour against and misuse of women, and other immoralities. However, after the revolution the government encouraged and guided the film industry to honour human society by making films about morality, cultural commitments, and the human community. This was the new Iranian cinema.”

The first film shown was The Willow Tree which is about Youssef, a man blinded in a fireworks accident as a young child.

The film festival will continue till Feb 18, from 3pm to 6pm.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Al Qadir ruling
Updated 18 Jan, 2025

Al Qadir ruling

One wonders whether the case is as closed as PTI’s critics would have one believe.
Atlantic tragedy
Updated 18 Jan, 2025

Atlantic tragedy

The only long-term solution lies in addressing root causes of illegal migration: financial misery and a lack of economic opportunities at home.
Cheap promises?
18 Jan, 2025

Cheap promises?

TALK is cheap. Can electricity also be? The government has recently announced that Pakistan will benefit from the...
Never again
Updated 17 Jan, 2025

Never again

The Gaza genocide has also revealed the utter helplessness of the Palestinian Authority in projecting Palestine’s case globally.
World Bank loan
17 Jan, 2025

World Bank loan

THAT the World Bank will give $20bn to Pakistan in the next 10 years to address some of the country’s most acute...
India’s dangerous game
17 Jan, 2025

India’s dangerous game

THE latest inflammatory remarks by India’s military brass about Pakistan mark a troubling departure from the...