TEHRAN-One of the recent and notable films in Iranian Sacred Defense cinema, focusing on the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, is “The 23” directed by Mehdi Jafari and produced by Mojtaba Faravardeh, released on December 11, 2019.

On the first day of filming in October 2018, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani visited the film's production set and interacted with the cast and crew on location in Tehran.

The general was present at behind the scenes of the war drama “The 23,” which is based on the novel “Those 23 People,” written by Ahmad Yousefzadeh, depicting the true story of 23 Iranian teenage volunteers held captive by enemy soldiers early in 1982 during Iran-Iraq war. The members of the young group, which included the author Yousefzadeh, were between the ages of 13 and 17. They belonged to the 41st Tharallah Brigade, a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps formed in 1980 in Kerman Province. General Qassem Soleimani served as the commander of this unit throughout the Iran-Iraq war.

The 23 teenagers were captured during Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas in various areas of the front. On May 24, 1982, during the Liberation of Khorramshahr, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sought to exploit them for his benefit. He separated the teenagers from other Iranian captives and brought them to his palace, where he purportedly sympathized with them, and his daughter Hala presented them with flowers. Hussein claimed they would be released soon with Red Cross approval. The Iraqi press created videos and photographs of the teens, publishing them alongside Hussein's famous quote, “All the children in the world are ours.” Despite these assurances, the 23 teenagers remained in captivity for over 8 years until August 26, 1990.

In addition to General Soleimani, Yusefzadeh, and 21 other teen captives, now adults, attended the set of “The 23” on its first day of shooting. Unfortunately, the group was not complete as one of them had passed away.

In an interview with Tehran Times, Mojtaba Faravardeh, producer of the film, discussed General Soleimani’s visit to the film's location, which was organized by Owj Arts and Media Organization, the sponsor of the movie.

“I was informed about the general’s visit but almost everybody else at the location was shocked when they saw him coming as they did not know about it beforehand,” he said.

“It was my first time to see him but he greeted me so warmly as if he knew me for years. After that, I provided him with information about that day’s sequence we were filming, which was a prison in Iraq where the teenagers were to be interrogated,” the producer added.

General Soleimani kindly hugged and kissed all the young cast members of the film, as well as all the real teen captives who were now in their 50s, and the rest of the crew. The young actors were particularly surprised to see the general, who was the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), had gone there to meet them.

After the shooting of the sequence was over, one of the young actors in the film approached the general and said, “It has been one of my dreams to have a photo with you.” The general’s reply was humble and heartwarming, “You are artists, and it should be our wish to have a photo with you. Tell all the 23 people to come.” Afterward, several photos were taken with the general standing among the cast and crew, smiling.

At the end of his visit, recalling a memory from a young soldier during the war, the general said, “If we could spray the elixir of zeal, spirituality, courage, and religiosity on the whole nation, that would be the basic treatment of all problems in the country”.

“His presence in the film location that day and the positive energy he gave us left a lasting memory for all of us,” Faravardeh noted.

Despite this, the film producer lamented that the general could not see the film when it was released as he was assassinated at Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. General Soleimani was accompanied by his Iraqi trench-mate, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and some of their deputies when they were killed by an armed drone strike directly ordered by the White House.

Both commanders, Soleimani and Al-Muhandis, gained immense respect across the Middle East for their pivotal role in combating the Daesh (ISIS) Takfiri terrorist group, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

Having led the elite force for over two decades, General Soleimani played a crucial part in Iran's strategic efforts to safeguard its interests and extend its influence throughout the Middle East.

General Soleimani held a dual role as both the “shadow commander” of covert Iranian forces and a revered figure in an anti-American alliance that transcended sectarian boundaries across the region.

Renowned for his reserved demeanor, General Soleimani radiated charisma and intelligence, earning the respect even of those who opposed him. His influence stretched far beyond military strategy, making him a prominent and multifaceted figure in the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.

“The 23” vividly portrays the bravery and heroism of the 23 teenage boys who were prisoners of the Iran-Iraq war. Their selflessness for their country has inspired numerous authors and filmmakers to undertake projects about their remarkable story.

It was filmed in the capital city of Tehran and the southern Iranian city of Abadan over three months.

The film received a highly positive response from audiences during its premiere at the 37th Fajr Film Festival in Tehran and secured nominations for six awards, ultimately winning one. Additionally, it earned the prestigious title of Film of the Year from the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO.

Further accolades include the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Film at the International Film Festival for Children and Youth and the Phoenix Cinema Award at the Revolution Cinema Celebration. These recognitions underscore the film's impact and contribution to Iranian cinema.

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