TEHRAN – Six Iranian movies have been selected to be screened at the 25th Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.

“The Dream of a Horse”, “Surviving Fortress”, “19”, “The Peach”, “Cylinder” and “Graveyard” will compete in different sections of the festival, which will take place in Trento, Bolzano, Rome, Venice and Marina di Camerota from September 14 to 21.

The story of “The Dream of a Horse” by Marjan Khosravi is set in a mountainous but extremely green landscape, where nomadic families have found their temporary home. Shahnaz, a teenage girl, should be getting married soon, but her thoughts are focused on the world of literature.

Directed by Farshad Fadaian, “Surviving Fortress” tells the story of Morteza who sells all his properties in the city and buys an old castle on the edge of a desert, connected to hectares of land which has been abandoned for years and has not been cultivated.

“19” by Manijeh Hekmat follows a 57-year-old woman who goes into a coma after getting infected with coronavirus and begins traveling to different parts of her memories through her unconscious mind.

In “The Peach”, director and writer Mehdi Hosseinkhani recounts the story of a teenage boy who is bullied by his classmates. However, he reclaims his lost identity, takes actions that he once refrained from, and tries to prove himself by making changes in his behavior.

“Cylinder” by Amir Pazirofteh is about a teenage boy, who, regardless of his interest and talent in soccer, must obey a father who is obsessed with money. The father prevents his son from going to the football match by any means. After this continuing struggle, when the match day ultimately arrives the boy nevertheless decides to go to the final match with the help of his friend.

“Graveyard” by Ali Darai tells the story of Reyhaneh, who was the reason for her baby’s death. Now, in the absence of her runaway husband, she is looking for a way to bury the baby. She deals with different hardships but eventually finds a way to get what she wants.

“Religion Today has been the foremost international and itinerant film festival dedicated to cinema and religions for a culture of peace and dialogue between faiths, cultures, peoples and individuals,” the organizers have said.

Photo: Pantea Panahiha acts in a scene from “19” by Manijeh Hekmat.

MMS/YAW