TEHRAN – The 57th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will celebrate the new generation of independent Iranian filmmakers in a special section entitled “Another Birth. Iranian Cinema, Here and Now”.

Nine films offering “an insightful testimony of the burning creativity of Iran’s artists in face of the challenging reality” will be screened in this section, announced the organizers of the Czech festival, which will take place from June 30 to July 8 in Karlovy Vary in Czech.

The selection comprising melancholic dramas, comedies, war movies, sci-fi films and movies about love have been made over the past four years.

“This cinema should not be read with the regular tools we use to decode most films,” said the retrospective’s curator Lorenzo Esposito.

“This cinema compels us to reinvent our tools, to reinvent how we see and interpret film, in order to engage with the intentions of these filmmakers,” he added.

“As the title of a poetry collection by Forugh Farrokhzad read, ‘We present here and now another birth of Iranian cinema’,” he asserted.

The directorial debut “The Skin” by twin brothers Bahram and Bahman Ark is a highlight of the lineup.

In this film, 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.  

Mohammadreza Shayannejad’s debut film “Trip to the Moon” will also be screened.

Zoya’s voice is placed in a bottle. Something both ethereal and mechanical is shimmering in the air. Farid plans to construct a device, which would enable him to record this invisible movement. Reality breaks up into tiny fragments; voices from the past and future start to materialize. Zoya sets off on a trip to the Moon. An electrifying film generated from brilliant waves, streaking through the air with tempestuous force.

The selection also features “Black and White River” by Farzin Mohammadi, “Creation between Two Surfaces” by Hossein Rajabian, “Dream’s Gate” by Negin Ahmadi, “K9” by Vahid Vakilifar, “Locust” by Faezeh Azizkhani, “No End” by Nader Saeivar and “Zapata” by Danesh Eghbashavi.

In addition, Iranian director Karim Lakzadeh’s movie “Dark Matter” will be screened in the Proxima Competition.

Photo: A scene from Mohammadreza Shayannejad’s debut film “Trip to the Moon”.

MMS/YAW