TEHRAN – The Asia Society in New York, a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia, has initiated a program on Iranian documentary films.

The program entitled “So You Think You Know Iran”, which began on April 1, is screening six documentaries that invite audiences to discover a lesser-known view of Iran, the organizer said. 

The program is curated by Ahmad Kiarostami, the elder son of the world-renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, and co-presented with Docunight, a platform that shows Iranian documentaries in North America.

The films spotlight a wide range of topics and characters that piece together a more complete picture of Iran.

“Coup 53” was one of the films screened from April 1 to 4.

Directed by Taqi Amirani and editor Walter Murch, the film is a gripping documentary about the Anglo-American coup in Iran in 1953.

The film won the audience award at the 2020 Cinéma Vérité, Iran’s major international festival for documentary films.

“20th Circuit Suspects” directed by Hesam Eslami is also among the films.

After they steal his car, Eslami develops a relationship and documents the lives of the adolescent gang that robbed him.

The program also features “Platform” (also known as “Zero to Platform”) directed by Sahar Mosayyebi.

A Rocky-esque tale of grit and determination, “Platform” follows the three Mansurian sisters in their quest to be international champions in Wushu, the martial art.

Directed by Kamran Heidari, “My Name Is Negahdar Jamali and I Make Westerns” has also been selected to be screened.
 
The film follows Negahdar Jamali, an Iranian filmmaker who has been making Westerns in rural Shiraz, Iran for the past 35 years. His passion is making cowboy films and his neighbors play the Indians.

The lineup also includes Heidari’s 2013 documentary “Dingomaro”.

In this film, acclaimed African-Iranian musician Hamid Said travels by motorbike across the province of Hormozgan, in order to realize his dream of organizing a concert with the best Black musicians in the country.

“Narrow Red Line” is the last film that will be screened in the program from April 29 to May 2.

Directed by Farzad Khoshdast, the film is about a group of juvenile offenders in an Iranian Juvenile Re-habitation and Correction Center, who decide to rehearse and perform a play with the help of a few trainers. So, if they manage to perform their play at the theater festival, they would be able to get out of the prison for one day. And this could be a chance for some to break out on that very day.

“So You Think You Know Iran” is organized as part of Asia Society at the Movies, an ongoing series of film screenings and conversations showcasing a broad range of films and filmmakers from across Asia and the Asian diaspora.

Photo: A poster for “Dingomaro”, a documentary that has been selected to be screened in the Asia Society’s program “So You Think You Know Iran”.

MMS/YAW