TEHRAN – The National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC has unveiled its lineup for the 26th edition of the Festival of Films from Iran.

Seven acclaimed films, from social documentaries to dark comedies, will be reviewed during the online event opening on Friday.

The Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, which together form the Smithsonian Institution’s national museums of Asian art in Washington, are the organizers of the festival running until January 30.

The lineup includes “Drowning in Holy Water”, a drama on Afghan migrants in Iran by Tehran-based Afghan director Navid Mahmudi.

The film is about Rona and Hamed, two young Afghans who are in love with each other. Searching for a better life, they have decided to immigrate to Europe but they have to make a big decision to make it happen, a decision that relates to their religion and beliefs.

“Hit the Road” directed by Panah Panahi will also be screened.

The film begins in the middle of nowhere, where an Iranian family makes a pit stop to bury the kid’s phone to avoid surveillance. Through several pit stops and encounters, we explore this family’s riotous dynamic and learn where their destination is.

“Sun Children”, director Majid Majidi’s acclaimed child labor drama, will also be reviewed.

It is about 12-year-old Ali and his three friends, who work hard together to survive and support their families. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, Ali is entrusted to find hidden treasure underground.

The festival will also screen Ahmad Bahrami’s “The Wasteland”. It tells the story of Lotfollah, a 40-year-old man working at a brick manufacturing factory in Iran as a supervisor. He is regularly confronted by his fellow workers about their late salaries, and tries to keep everyone content in the face of an inevitable shutdown of the factory.

The lineup also features “The Skin”. This contribution of twin brothers Bahram and Bahman Ark to the evolving genre of Iranian horror movies is steeped in traditional Persian folklore and music. In it, a young man named Araz seeks to marry his true love, but his mother, a sorceress, has cast a spell to keep her son with her. The closer he gets to his beloved, the weaker his mother becomes. He seeks to break the spell with the help of an itinerant musician and a mysterious recluse with access to the spirit world.
    
“The Son” by Nushin Meraji and “The Deer” by Masud Kimiai will also be reviewed.

Photo: “The Skin” by Bahram and Bahman Ark.

MMS/YAW