TEHRAN – Iranian short movies “A Horse Has More Blood Than a Human” and “Three Meters and a Few Centimeters” will be competing in the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, which will take place in Sonoma County, Northern California, from June 10 to 13.

Directed by Abolfazl Taluni, the acclaimed movie “A Horse Has More Blood Than a Human” is about an older couple, who leave Tehran and return to their idyllic hometown on the Turkish border, but their dreams of quiet retirement are shattered by the realization that their town has become a smuggling gateway into Europe, and everyone they know is involved. 

The film brought Iranian cinematographer Mehdi Azadi a Golden Frog of the 28th Energa Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland in November 2020.

“Three Meters and a Few Centimeters” directed by Mostafa Salehinejad revolves around a COVID-19 issue in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz. The coronavirus has not only caused many deaths, but also created a crisis in burial traditions. According to the obligations of Islam, when someone dies, their body must be washed by hand in order to move on to the hereafter cleansed. Because of the COVID-19’s wild and deadly infection, few people are willing to touch the bodies of those killed by the virus, which creates a crisis in the city.

A lineup of 66 films from across the world will be screened at the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival.

This year’s festival will also include a number of panel discussions for filmmakers and the general public about issues in documentary filmmaking, from technical topics like editing and musical composition to broader discussions of documentary’s place in investigative reporting.

The organizers have said that despite their initial plans for an in-person fest in 2021, safety concerns have dictated that the event remain virtual until 2022.

Photo: “A Horse Has More Blood Than a Human” directed by Abolfazl Taluni.

MMS/YAW