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Iran in focus: 62. Leipzig documentary and animation festival

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At the Festival, Iran was not an official program area of focus. However, films with the Iran-related were among the high points: Seven Iranian films and a conversation with the Iranian filmmaker Narges Kalhor.



It was a long way up to the final film at the Munich film school. Now Narges Kalhor shows, in September 1984, born in Tehran, her Film”In the Name of Scheherazade, or the first beer garden in Tehran” at the tradition-rich Festival in the Eastern German metropolis. The “International Leipzig Festival for documentary and animation film”, in short “Dok Leipzig” called, is one of the world’s most important forums for documentary films.

Between the document and play with the imagination

But your movie you are now to the completion of their studies has completed, is it even a documentary? The answer is not so clear. What has to be a disadvantage. “In the Name of Scheherazade, or the first beer garden in Tehran” is, in fact, much of it at the same time: a wise Meditation on the film together to make a profound engagement with the concepts of home and abroad, a thoughtful Film about prejudice and cultural ignorance, but, above all, a funny Film about all of these phenomena.

Expectations of Iranian Directors

He fits well in the unofficial Iran-the focus of the 62. Edition of the festival, especially because the Film encourages, in principle, make to Think about the film. What to expect a German audience, when it sees a Film from Iran, at a Festival, in the cinema of everyday life, or on television, or – as in this case – the Film from the Iranian Director ends?

Narges Kalhor (M.) and their comrades-in-arms to ponder on the film project

Again and again they had been of producers, editors, and festival asked: “do a Film about You, your story is so interesting, because You’re going to get a large audience.” They had been repeatedly “pushed to make something Oriental and/or something political,” says Narges Kalhor in an interview with DW. “At some point, the too much,” says the young Director was me.

Cinematic Puzzle with a lot of cinematic imagination

As to answer to all of these expectations from the Outside, it now presents in the city movie. There are four narrative strands, the Kalhor are United in their playful film Puzzle: As a young gay refugee from Syria, seeks asylum in Germany because he has to fear because of his sexual orientation in Syria for life and limb.

Sex dolls for the art project of an Afghan artist in Germany

There is, apparently, from the Afghanistan-born artist, presents in Germany her Works: installations where particularly large sex dolls in the center. And as an Iranian young woman who studied in Bavaria (beer)brewery, and now their dream will realize, to open in Tehran the first Bavarian beer garden.

The Director staged as a doubting protagonist

Finally, the Director herself, trying desperately to make her first feature-length Film on the legs – but not yet quite know what this act is. Are framed in the storylines of animated and with singing under the old scenes of the tales of the thousand and one nights. So also the title “In the Name of Scheherazade, or the first beer garden in Tehran can be explained”.

Animated and with music: the characters from the thousand nights and one night in Kalhors Film

The Director (of course, “played” by Nages Kalhor personally) always pushes the limits. Editors and producers push you in a certain direction: “do something about Your home, about Tehran!” The must, so your rates will be, even in the movie title suggested. The audience should know what it is about: “The best in the first five minutes.”

According to the invitation in 2009, in Germany requested Kalhor asylum

Narges Kalhor, who graduated in front of your Munich – based studies, a Film and a graphic study in Iran, has requested prior to ten years of asylum in Germany. At the time, the movie “Darkhish” (“The harrow ran short”) at the Nuremberg human rights film festival. From their Iranian homeland was signaled then clear that they could come on their return in trouble. Her father was a senior adviser to the former President Mahmoud Ahmadineschād. However, he had the daughter because of different political views no longer in contact. Narges Kalhor remained in Germany.

Full ranks at the Leipzig documentary festival in 2019

The Director was also filming their own story. A history of oppression and censorship, of love for art and Film, a story of asylum and the loss of the home. She probably would have preached to the converted, she would have Packed this story in a catchy movie pictures. But you didn’t want to, didn’t want to meet all of the expectations, which have also made them under pressure.

Narges Kalhor was your experience with your film project

She decided for something else: “at some point I thought: Ok, this is now a part of our film. Let’s make a movie, how do we make a movie. Or better said: we can’t do that.” The comments from the eternally nagging editors and producers have become part of the film, told the Director. All of the shown events and persons also have a double bottom, it shows at the end of Kalhors movie: Is everything really only played document?

The need for a discussion after the film screenings in Leipzig

Narges Kalhor became thoughtful during the production process, has been fundamental questions: “My experience in the last ten years is this: I’m from Iran. There is a censorship. You know how this System works. How to make a Propaganda or not makes. Or how to get out from the System or not.”

“Internal censorship” at the film-making in Germany

But also in Germany, they have not had for ten years, the feeling of being “completely independent”: “we have Also developed a kind of internal censorship, because we know exactly what the market expected of us here.” Every Jury, every producer, every editor, the you need to make the movie work, Yes, but so necessary, too, would change the “direction for the movie”. At the end, so Narges Kalhor, “is not perhaps what we wanted to do: This Film is, in fact, a verfilmtes Exposé.”

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