TEHRAN –Four Iranian films will go on screen in different sections of the 19t edition of the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, which will be held in the Russian town of Kazan from September 5 to 9.

“No Prior Appointment”, the winner of the Golden Saint George for best film at the 2022 Moscow International Film Festival, will be screened at the main section of the festival. 

The acclaimed drama tells the story of an Iranian emigrant who, after 30 years, is compelled to return to her home country upon learning of her estranged father’s death. She hastily takes leave from her work as a doctor in Germany, bringing her young autistic son with her. 

Director Behruz Shoeibi explores the ideas of return, leftover threads of memory of a land, and the sense of self that was once left behind. With nuanced grace, the film explores the longing for homeland, the questions of belonging, and the strange sense of homecoming upon returning to the country of your childhood.

The film will be competing with “Ada” by Stanislav Svetlov from Russia, “Our Home” by Romi Meitel from India, “The Last Postmen” by Saad Al-Essamy from Iraq and “Collapsed Walls” by Hakim Belabbes from Morocco. 

“The 823rd Kilometer” co-directed by Irek Khafizof and Amir Galiaskarof from Russia and Tatarstan, “Cage Between Two Battles” by Cenk Izgoren from Turkey and “Dignity” by Dimitris Katsimiris from Greece will also be screened in this section. 

“Isatis” by Iranian filmmaker Alireza Dehqan will go on screen at the documentary section of the festival. 

The film is about one man’s journey to the desert in central Iran. Isatis is the first adobe city and the second historical city in the world. Water, wind, soil and fire narrate the story of this thousands-year-old city. The water story is described by the people who built aqueducts in Isatis, a town in the heart of the desert. The story of the wind is told by the city of wind catchers from the people who conquered the wind to survive in a hot and dry city. 

The story of the soil is narrated by people who constructed the world’s oldest adobe city. The story of the sacred fire is related from Zoroastrian masters to huge factories. The story of the kind dialogue between religions and the scent of faith is also told. The secret to perfection and peaceful permanence can be found only in harmony with nature.

The festival will also screen Iranian shorts “Witness” by Aida Tebianain, “Water, Wind, Dust and Bread” by Mehdi Zamanpur Kiasari. 

A jury of well-known professionals, including filmmakers, cameramen and film critics from all over the world will judge the movies at the festival, which is organized with the motto “To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue.”

The festival aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among workers in the cultural and arts sectors of Russia and Muslim countries from nearby and distant lands. It also seeks to showcase the creative accomplishments of Muslim filmmakers and representatives of other religious backgrounds, who produce films that promote human, spiritual, and moral values, as well as cultural traditions. Moreover, it aims to foster a more accurate understanding of Muslims and Islam within the global community and Russian society.

Photo: A scene from Iranian drama “No Prior Appointment” by Behruz Shoeibi

ABU/