|
Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi: Iranians should copy my
movie! |
|
Kurd Net is NOT responsible of the content of the
article |
|
Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi: Iranians
should copy my movie!
6.2.2010
|
|
|
|
February 6, 2010
ROTTERDAM,— The famous Kurdish-Iranian movie
director
Bahman Ghobadi
visited the Rotterdam Film Festival on Wednesday to
show his new movie “Nobody Knows About The Persian
Cats”. He had a message for the Iranians in Iran,
asking them to copy the movie and spread it on the
Iranian black market: “This is your copy and you can
spread it as much as you can.”
The movie tells the story of two young Iranian
musicians trying to put together a band to play in
Europe, after being
released from jail.
According to AFP, the movie challenges Iran’s
draconian censorship and pays tribute to the
country’s underground rappers and rockers.
Ghobadi told the Dutch audience that every week in
Iran one young Iranian is dying or wounded when they
flee the Islamic police that arrests youngsters
having parties or playing rock music. “If they
arrest you there, you will get a thick record and it
will be difficult to get work, go to university.
This shouldn’t happen.”
Journalist Roxani Saberi, who co-wrote the film told
the audience that the Iranian youth is pursuing a
lot of risks. “We often take the basic right of
freedom of expression for granted in the West.
|
Iranian actor Hamed Behdad, right, Iranian Kurdish
director Bahman Ghobadi, center, and Iranian actress
Negar Shaghaghi arrive for the screening of the film
'Kasi As Gorbehaye Irani Khabar Nadareh' (No One
Knows About Persian Cats) during the 62nd
International film festival in Cannes, southern
France, Thursday, May 14, 2009. AP photo |
|
Many Iranians have
taken great risks to pursue this right, especially
over the past several months. It is important for
them to know that people outside the country are
aware of their situation and are watching.”
The Iranian-Japanese American journalist was
arrested in Iran in January 2009 for alleged spying.
When she was arrested, Ghobadi, the partner of
Saberi wrote an emotional love letter in an attempt
to have her freed. Eventually she was freed in May
2009 and was banned from working as a journalist in
Iran for five years and left the country. She told
the audience she is not a spy and wants to return
back. “But it’s not the best time now to go back.”
Ghobadi said if he returns to Iran they might take
his passport and cannot leave Iran for a long time.
“I’m waiting tell Iran is getting better. The new
generation wants to change the government as soon as
possible. They deserve much more than that. What you
have seen is just a tiny bit of wealth, art, music
and poetry we have that is underground. If we can
choose the government the people want, you will see
it [art] flourishing more than ever!”
The movie Persian Cats was made 5 months before the
Iranian elections of June 2009. Ghobadi was worried
that his 3 copies wouldn’t made it to Europe.
Finally he managed to smuggle one copy to Berlin,www.ekurd.netwhich
was edited there and eventually sent to Iran. “I
dedicated this movie to the Iranians in Iran. They
can copy it without any costs. We should try to
support the young artists in Iran, the future of the
country.”
Ghobadi assured the audience that most people of the
movie do not face any risks. While the main actors
were already leaving Iran, the others continued
playing underground music like usual. The film
director also told his female actors to cover their
hair for their own safety.
The film maker was asked if he was making a movie
about the green movie in Iran. He didn’t say his
upcoming movies would focus on the Iranian
opposition, but he did say they wouldn’t be
unrelated to the situation of Iran. Ghobadi will
continue to work on two projects in Europe.
Furthermore he is planning to shoot a new movie in
2012 in Kurdistan Iraq.
Copyright, respective
author or news agency, rudaw net
Top |
|
|
|
®
