TEHRAN – The Centre for Fine Arts – Bozar in Brussels plans to review films by Iranian directors Dariush Mehrjui, Kamran Shirdel.

Mehrjui’s latest film “La Minor” and his 2010 drama “Tehran, Tehran” will be screened in a program, which will be organized with contributions from the Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre in Anderlecht, Belgium. 

“La Minor” will be reviewed on February 2. The film is about Nadi, a woman who loves playing music but her traditional father, a carpet salesman who would like his daughter to study business and help him with his shop bookkeeping, forces her to abandon it. While Nadi’s mother is torn between her husband and daughter, she condones her husband’s strict conduct with Nadi. With her grandfather’s support, hopefully, the young girl learns to play the guitar and compose. 

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Mehrjui, a pioneer of Iran’s New Wave cinema. He is the director of the acclaimed 1969 drama “The Cow”.

“Tehran, Tehran” will be screened the next day.

In this film, an ordinary family joins a group of wealthy people on a tour of Tehran. Visiting historical buildings and tourist attractions is just the beginning of their journey, during which they will discover much more than just landmarks.

The film will be preceded by Shirdel’s documentary “Tehran Is the Capital of Iran”.

With this commissioned film, Shirdel explores the underbelly of Tehran. He highlights the contrast between the official discourse of the Shah’s Iran, presenting a rich and powerful capital, and the images of everyday life for its most marginalized residents.

Shirdel is the founder and director of the Kish International Documentary Film Festival and managing director of Filmgrafic Co.

Bozar’s cultural project, offers a dynamic and diversified cultural program of concerts and exhibitions: a multidisciplinary approach in which debates, theater, cinema, literature and other disciplines meet to reflect on the connections between art and society.

Photo: A scene from Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui’s “La Minor”.

MMS/YAW