TEHRAN-The celebrated Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi will be part of Arcurea, international colloquium at SRFTI in India from March 16 to 22.

The Cannes-award-winning director will engage in online discussions, providing insight into his creative process and perspective on the future of cinema, Honaronline reported.

The Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) Kolkata, in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), is set to host ARCUREA 2024 – a pioneering event dedicated to the archiving, curation, and restoration of films. The week-long event promises a comprehensive exploration of cinema’s rich heritage and its evolving role in contemporary society.

Arcurea is a celebration of the enduring legacy of cinema through collective and creative endeavors to preserve, archive, curate, and restore cinematic treasures. It intends to nurture a vibrant and creative community of film curators who share a passion for cinema in all its manifestations.

The SRFTI, named after the legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, is a premier institution for the study of film and television in India. Established in Kolkata in 1995, it was envisioned as a tribute to Ray’s legacy and a hub for nurturing aspiring filmmakers, technicians, and media professionals.

In addition to Farhadi, Renowned filmmakers, including Naomi Kawase and Vidhu Vinod Chopra will also deliver speeches at the event. 

Arcurea 2024 will feature a diverse array of activities aimed at fostering dialogue and innovation within the realm of film preservation and presentation. Among the highlights are the International Colloquium on Archiving and Restoration, Cinema Curation Workshop, Festival of Restored Films, Curators’ Picks, Live Performances, and Exhibition of Film Memorabilia among others.

Farhadi, 51, is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Iran and world cinema in the 21st century. Almost all his films have won awards at every festival where they were displayed. According to critics, his scripts are deep sociological, psychological, and philosophical studies of problems that are universal in society, and his films have gained recognition because of their focus on the human condition and because they describe intimate and challenging stories about family conflicts.

Farhadi made his debut as a director with the film “Dancing in the Dust,” which was awarded at the International Film Festival in Moscow. “Beautiful City,” was his second film made in 2004, which won an award at the International Film Festival in Warsaw. His next film “Fireworks Wednesday” won the Golden Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2006. Then he made “About Elly” in 2009 and won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival and the Award for Best Film at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2011, “A Separation” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and received critical acclaim inside and outside of Iran, as well as the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and won the Golden Globes and the Caesar Award. The film “The Past,” made in 2013, won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.

His next film “The Salesman” brought Farhadi his second Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016, making him one of the few directors worldwide who have won twice this prize. His following movie “Everybody Knows” opened the 71st Cannes Festival, and his last film “A Hero” in 2021 won the Grand Prix at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

Farhadi is on the list of directors who have won the Best Foreign Film Oscar more than once. The others are Vittorio de Sica and Federico Fellini (four times each), Ingmar Bergman (three times), and René Clément and Akira Kurosawa (twice each).

SS/SAB