Despite censorship, Indie directors trying best to convey message: Iranian filmmaker

kolkata: In 2016, Iranian director Nahid Hassanzadeh was at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) with her film 'Another Time', which showcased the struggle of a woman who gave birth out of wedlock.

'Another Time' was adjudged as the best film at that time in the International Competition: Women Directors' Films section. Six years later, the 48-year-old Iranian director is back at the 28th KIFF with her latest work, 'Silent Glory'. This time, her film is in the International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images section.

The 95-minute film narrates the journey of a 35-year-old woman, Rohan, who decides to marry Mahi, an old man who had been the village teacher for many years after finding no suitor. Mahi is now the caretaker of the village shrine in whose healing power he does not believe. Rohan begins her new life in a small room in the shrine. She meets a young boy who has taken refuge in the sanctuary of the shrine to be healed. When the boy dies suddenly, Rohan loses all her beliefs like her husband. The fanatic villagers do not tolerate the presence of two heathens in the shrine and the village anymore.

Making cinema in Iran with the country's stringent censorship laws is highly risky. Renowned filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who has been banned by his government from directing films and leaving the country for 20 years, continues to make movies in secrecy. His recent, 'No Bears', which premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival, was screened to a packed audience at 28th KIFF.A fan of Panahi's work, Nahid mentioned how it is increasingly difficult for filmmakers in Iran to work given state censorship. "We have severe censorship in Iran for the last 20 years. Yet, the independent directors and producers in Iran are trying their best to convey our message to the world. I still don't know how we are doing that. But we are working," she said at Nandan.

Nahid, who is also the producer of the film, said it is quite a task to generate money for films. "I had to make the film on a tight budget because I could not manage enough money. So, I am hoping that with the screening of the film across the world, I can generate some amount," she said.

Such are the laws in her war-torn country that Nahid had to first approach Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and seek permission. The Iranian government supports artists, who promote the Islamic Republic's values and policies. "After getting clearance from the ministry, I can screen the film. However, they have instructed us not to go against the government," said Nahid, who studied filmmaking at the Iranian Young Cinema Society.

Talking about the strong influence of Satyajit Ray, she said even the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi was influenced by the master filmmaker from Bengal. "The works of Ray are very popular in our country, particularly among documentary filmmakers," said Nahid, whose script for her third film is ready.