Film

Film Screening - Secrets of the Treasure at the Ghost Valley

administrator — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:31:09 +0000

FREE

Canadian premier screening of the film “Secrets of the Treasure at the Ghost Valley”.(Language : Persian with English Subtitle)

FREE

Number available: 90

Sub Genre:

Film

Region:

Ebrahim Golestan

Dates:

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 21:45

Location:

Studio Theatre , Harbourfront Centre

Language:

Persian

Subtitle:

Yes

Program Duration:

1 hr. 15 min.

Artist Bios:

A pioneer in filmmaking and literature, Ebrahim Golestan has influenced generations of Iranians in various fields of art for more than half a century. Golestan published his first collection of short stories entitled, "Azar, the Last Month of autumn" in 1948.
Golestan began journalism as a writer, then editor, early in the 40’s, and photography as a freelancer with news organizations in 1951. Later he produced several landmark documentaries and feature films such as "A Fire" (1961), "Wave, Coral, Rock" (1959/1962), and "Marlik Hills" (1963). His first narrative film “The Mudbrick and the Mirror” (1963/4) is considered by many historians as the first of the social realism wave in Iranian cinema. At the same time, he continued to write and publish his work in fiction. “Hunting the Shadow” (1955), “The Brook, the Wall, and the Thirsty One” (1967), “Tide & Fog” (1969) and “Secrets of the Treasures at the Ghost Valley (Asarare Ganje Darehye Jenni)” (1971/3), “The Cock” (1974) are examples of his published works of fiction; and “The Words Spoken” (1995), a selection of his lectures, literary criticism and interviews, and some narrations for films.
Golestan has made valuable contributions as a translator of great works of literature such as “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and several of Hemingway's stories.
Golestan’s feature film, “Secrets of the Treasures at the Ghost Valley”, was banned before and after the 1979 revolution. The film presents an insightful, thought provoking account of dynamics of various social strata of Iranian society at a historical juncture, best described by the director as “the twisted image of a twisted situation”. Tirgan 2011 is proud to present this influential and rarely seen masterpiece of Iranian cinema.

Picture Gallery:

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Film Screening and Q&A with Director - Tall Shadows of the Wind

administrator — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 23:39:34 +0000

FREE

Bahman Farmanara, Iran, 1979, 90 min, in Farsi with English subtitles

Producer: B. Farmanara; Cinematography: Ali-Reza Zarrin-dast

Based on a short story by legendary Iranian writer Houshang Golshiri, Tall Shadows of the Wind is the second adaptation of a literary work by Bahman Farmanara.

In an isolated village, the peasants assembled scarecrows to protect their crops. Through a series of events driven by superstition, the scarecrows become metaphysical creatures controlling the lives of the villagers. Employing symbolic language, Farmanara and Golshiri depict a society controlled by beliefs beyond realities.

FREE

Number available: 10

Sub Genre:

Bahman Farmanara

Region:

Iran

Sponsors Logo:

Dates:

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 17:30

Location:

Studio Theatre , Harbourfront Center

Language:

Persian

Subtitle:

Yes

Program Duration:

1 hr. 30 min.

Artist Bios:

Bahman Farmanara started his film career with the popular TV series “House of Qamar Khanom”, which was later adapted to his first feature film in 1972. His recognition as a pioneer of the Iranian New Wave Cinema came with his second feature film “Prince Ehtijab” based on a novel by renowned Iranian writer Houshang Gulshiri. The film won the Grand Prix at the International Tehran Film Festival. He collaborated with Gulshiri one more time in “The Tall Shadows of the Wind”. The film was acclaimed at Cannes’ Critics’ Week but was never released.
Farmanara immigrated to Canada in 1980s and established his own production company before working as an Executive Vice President at Cineplex Odeon. On his return to Iran in late 90s, he made his next film “Smell of Comphore, Fragrance of Jasmine” in 2000 after twenty years. The film won eight awards at the Fajr Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize from the Montreal Film Festival. “A House on Water” is known as one of the most controversial films after the revolution. His last two films “A Little Kiss” and “Earthbound” have not yet been released. Tirgan will present a screening of “The Tall Shadows of the Wind” (in Persian with English subtitle) followed by Q&A period with the director.

Artists Websites:

http://www.bahmanfarmanara.com

Film Screening - Death of the King

administrator — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 23:31:57 +0000

FREE

Bahram Beizaii, Iran, 1982, 120 min, in Farsi with English subtitles

With: Sousan Taslimi, Mehdi Hashemi

The year is 644 A.D. The Iranian Empire has collapsed at the hands of the Muslim Arabs. Yazdgerd, the last emperor of Iran had fled the country and has been killed by the owner of a mill where he had taken refuge for the night. In the tense moments before the victorious army arrives, fleeing Iranian Army generals are trying to investigate the death of the King. The miller, his wife, and their ailing daughter give their account of the incident. Their stories become more than a murder trial, extending to views of an empire that has already collapsed from within.

FREE

Number available: 10

Sub Genre:

Bahram Beyzai

Region:

Iran

Sponsors Logo:

Dates:

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 21:30

Location:

Studio Theatre , Harbourfront Center

Language:

Persian

Subtitle:

Yes

Program Duration:

2 Hours

Artist Bios:

With over one hundred plays, film scripts, and articles on literature and dramatic arts, Beyzai is one of the most productive Iranian artists. He wrote his most famous narratives, Aarash and Azhdahak in his early teens. His vast knowledge of Naqqali and Ta’zieh allowed him to revive these two major forms of traditional Iranian narrative arts and use them as the foundation for many of his later works.
His writings are distinguished by his unique mythical, symbolic, and poetic style. His early works, such as The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad (1964), The Serpent King (1966), and The Court of Balkh (1968) are also known for employing a large number of actors on stage.
He made his first short film Uncle Moustache in 1970. His first feature film Downpour (1971) is considered by many critics to be the best film in the history of Iranian cinema. Before the 1979 Revolution he made three more films: “The Stranger and the Fog” (1973), “Crow” (1976), and “Ballad of Tara” (1979). His films after the revolution include “Death of the King” (1982), “Bashu, the Little Stranger” (1985), “Some Other Time Maybe” (1987), “The Travellers” (1992), “Dialogue with the Wind” (1998), “Killing the Rabid” (2001), and “When All Are Sleeping” (2009) some of which have never been released. Tirgan will feature a screening of “Death of the King” (in Persian with English subtitle).

Film Screening - The White Meadows

administrator — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:45:42 +0000

FREE

Canadian premier screening of the film “The White Meadows”. (Language : Persian with English Subtitle)

The White Meadows will be co-presented by the Global Film Initiative.

Synopsis

In this dreamlike yet earthbound film, Rahmat the boatman navigates the increasingly brackish waters of an imaginary coastal land, collecting the heartaches and tears of its inhabitants. But he remains powerless against their misguided attempts to appease the gods and make the land green again, whether by offering a bride to the sea or forcibly “treating” the eyes of a painter who sees in different colors. Drawing firsthand on the challenges faced by Iranian artists of today, writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof’s deeply atmospheric and poetical film is a gorgeous allegory of intolerance, brutality and mystified routine that resonates far beyond any one state’s borders.

FREE

Number available: 10

Sub Genre:

Mohammad Rasoulof

Region:

Iran

Sponsors Logo:

Dates:

Sun, 07/24/2011 - 16:00

Location:

Studio Theatre , Harbourfront Center

Language:

Persian

Subtitle:

Yes

Program Duration:

1 hr. 30 min.

Artist Bios:

Mohammad Rasoulof, an Iranian independent filmmaker, was born in Shiraz in 1973. He studied sociology at Shiraz University and film editing at Sooreh Higher Education Institute in Tehran. Raoulof’s first feature-length film, The Twilight, was released in 2002. His second feature, Iron Island was about scores of homeless people seeking refuge on an abandoned ship anchored in the rural area of the shores of the Persian Gulf (2005). Rasoulof’s films present symbolic human situations and communities that represent his critical views of much wider contexts ranging from patriarchal traditions to political tensions. His most recent feature film, The White Meadows (2010), recounts the story of an elderly man who collects the tears of souls in pain. His encounters present an elegant allegorical tale of persecution of artists and women, among others, for the choices they have made. Tirgan will present screening of Rasoulof’s recent feature film, The White Meadows.

Picture Gallery:

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