Iran , my lonely land
Young Iranian filmmakers are crossing borders in their homeland.
The Netherlands, 2007-07-01 , Colour , video 52’ min, Original language: Farsi , Subtitles: English
Documentary made by Remko Dekker and Mariette van Muijen
Every village has its own mosque and its own film school. This is one of the many peculiarities that Remko Dekker and Mariette van Muijen came upon during their three-month stay in Iran. As passionate filmmakers themselves, they wondered out how their colleagues make films in a country where every form of expression is observed with wariness and is not without certain risks. They met several promising young filmmakers and in numerous straightforward conversations about politics, religion, emancipation and.censorship, this youngest generation reveals a heartfelt social commitment. Six completely different characters make up the frame of the documentary, for instance the deeply religious, veiled Marzieh who’s film was originally rejected due to blasphemy; or Soudabeh, the unconventional artist taken with rituals and mysticism who lived ten years in poverty to realise her prize-winning film; and Mostafa, the western oriented maker of surrealistic film.These youg intellectuals reflect critically on their society and forsee their future, given the restrictions and other problems they all encounter…The drive and the courage that enable these young filmmakers to portray their love for their country, their concerns and their criticism can only leave the viewer full of admiration.
