Dressage, Hendi & Hormoz Will Compete in Berlin Film Festival
TEHRAN.(Iranart) – T wo feature films from Iran will compete in the Generation 14plus section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) slated for February 15-25.
According to the event website Berlinale.de, ‘Dressage’ directed by Pooya Badkoobeh and ‘Hendi & Hormoz’ by Abbas Amini will have their world premieres at the event.
Dressage centers on a girl named Golsa who, motivated primarily by boredom rather than greed, robs a corner shop with her friends. But while sharing the booty they are distressed to realize that they forgot to take the security camera footage. One of them must return to the crime scene to get it.
Director Badkoobeh’s radical story about control, blackmail and the power of money holds an uncompromising mirror up to the modern society in the country.
A co-production of Iran and the Czech Republic, Hendi & Hormoz is Amini’s second feature film after ‘Valderama’ (which was premiered in the Generation section in 2016).
The story takes place on Iran’s Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf, where hematite deposits in the soil turn the ocean waves blood-red. The 16-year-old Hormoz is married to Hendi, three years his junior, after he promises that he can work as a miner. But the young man finds closed doors instead of a job. When Hendi becomes pregnant unexpectedly, Hormoz is forced to make an ill-advised deal with a smuggler.
Director Amini portrays the existential struggle of two young people who must abandon their carefree youth in a harsh world.
Selected from more than 2,000 submissions, this year a total of 65 full-length and short films from 39 nations will compete in the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competition sections.
Diversity in Content, Format
The selection reflects on both cinematic developments as well as current socio-political situations. The diversity in content and format relentlessly reflects a complex and frequently inconsistent world while at the same time leaving room for interpretation.
“Every single selection is an invitation to the audience to experience life from the perspective of youth. They are films with young people, as opposed to about them. An impressive characteristic throughout the program is not only the deep respect with which the filmmakers paint portraits of their protagonists, but also the immediacy and intimacy with which they approach these very individual world views,” says section head Maryanne Redpath about this year’s program.
Earlier this week, a part of the competition lineup for the 68th Berlianle was announced which included ‘Pig’ by Mani Haghighi.
Berlinale is one of the world’s leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held annually in Berlin, the capital of Germany.
With German director, screenwriter, film composer and producer Tom Tykwer serving as jury president this year, the international jury will decide the winners of the Golden Bear and Silver Bears.
The awards include: Golden Bear for Best Film (awarded to a film producer) and Silver Bears of Grand Jury Prize and Alfred Bauer Prize for a feature film that opens new perspectives, as well as Silver Bears for best director, best actress, best actor, best screenplay and outstanding artistic contribution in the camera, editing, music score, costume or set design categories.
Iran won the Golden Bear in 2011 for Asghar Farhadi’s film ‘A Separation’ and the Silver Bear several times for other filmmakers and actors.