TEHRAN – Iran and Finland are collaborating in an action movie entitled “Layers of Lies”.

Ramin Sohrab is the director of the project, which has been written by Sohrab, Amir-Hossein Makui, Joe Leone and Sami Laulajainen.

In “Layers of Lies”, an ex-fireman returns to his home country Iran after a decade-long absence, only to have his old enemy resurface and steal away what he treasures most - and now he'll stop at nothing to exact revenge.

The crew is taking final scenes of the movie starring Sonja Farling, Antti Reini and Anu Sinisalo.

Earlier in 2018, the Cinema Organization of Iran (COI), where the major policies for Iranian cinema are made, announced its plan to extend the country’s overseas collaboration on film production. 

Over the past few years, a number of Iranian cineastes have begun joint productions with several overseas companies after they acknowledged the need for collaboration in the international arena.

“Beyond the Clouds” by Majid Majidi, “Yeva” by Anahid Abad and “1st Born” by Ali Atshani are the latest examples of films Iranian filmmakers have made along with foreign partners.

“Beyond the Clouds” is Majidi’s first India-set movie whose story is set in Mumbai’s impoverished underclass.

He made the movie in 2017 in collaboration with the Indian companies, Zee Studios and Namah Pictures.

“Yeva”, a co-production between Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation and the National Cinema Center of Armenia, was shot in Armenia.

The film, which was Armenia’s submission to the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category, narrates a melodrama set in the country.

As the first co-production between Iran and America, “1st Born” lays out its comic plot on the difficult relations between Iran and the U.S.  

The story of the comedy is also entirely set in the U.S. with an all-American cast.

Iran also pursues film projects with companies in Serbia, China, Malaysia, Japan and several other countries.

Photo: “Layers of Lies” by Ramin Sohrab.

MMS/YAW