TEHRAN – Four shorts by Iranian filmmakers will compete in the 35th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, which will take place from January 27 to February 4 in the central French city.

“Aban”, a co-production between Iran and France by Abbas Taheri and Mahdieh Tusi, and “48 Hours” by Azadeh Musavi have been selected to be screened in the fiction film category.

“Aban” tells the story of Nazanin who tries to turn their 9-year-old child, Aban, away from a very driven feminine taste under constant pressure from her ex-husband. Today, Aban goes to the hospital hoping to undergo life-changing surgery.

“48 Hours” follows Nader who is given a furlough to go home after three years in prison. He has 48 hours to become a father to his four-year-old daughter.

“Subtotals”, an experimental documentary co-produced by Iran, Poland and Germany, and the animated film “Our Photo Memento” will also be screened.

Directed by Mohammadreza Farzad, “Subtotals” is a poetic essay meticulously constructed from clips of Iranian 8mm home videos from bygone days. 

As we watch birthdays and wedding parties, people dancing, laughing, swimming or just relaxing, a narrator, in a contemplative, sometimes heavy voice, enumerates series of dry facts.

The film was inspired by the eponymous short story by Gregory Burnham and Édouard Levé’s novel, “Autoportrait”.

“Our Photo Memento” directed by Samaneh Lashgari showcases the pictures of a dead couple, which are put up on a wall. The old lady comes to life and notices that her husband is in the image next to hers. They try to reunite.

This year’s festival will bring together the worlds of filmmakers of all stripes in the selections of 70 programs. Between the competitions and retrospectives, there are 400 hundred films from fifty countries that offer a formidable dive into a refreshing pool of young cinematic talent.

The festival began in 1979 as part of a student film club organized by Clermont-Ferrand University. It was renamed the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and became competitive later.

Photo: A poster for “Our Photo Memento” directed by Samaneh Lashgari.

MMS/YAW