Fiction Short Film programme of the 4th Festival of Iranian Films in Prague

If there's a great thing about festivals that focus on films from a particular region is that they introduce people to certain cultural points that define it. Such was the case at the Festival of Iranian Films in Prague, which with its 2015 run reached its 4th edition. And if such a thing is true, then it is uslally even more so impactful and evident in its short film programme, where filmmakers have little time to portray themes, issues and stories and most of the time for a limited budget. The short films presented at the Festival of Iranian Films showcased the pioneering spirit of future generations of Iranian filmmakers, and their creativity at bringing their visions to life through a language that is constantly required to dodge censorship and hence create specific and distinctive filmmaking idioms. So, here is a taste of what is currently on offer.

TO RIDE A BICYCLE by Hamed Rajabi
 
Riding a bicycle in Iran is not forbidden, however the strict hijab or dressing modestly laws make it discouraging for women. This story casually aims to reveal that by telling the story of a quiet girl who walks around the city with her boyfriend's bicycle, which is the only thing of his she has left after his sudden departure from Iran. The aforementioned point of cycling discouragement is not very carefully described to an international audience. Nevertheless, one who is aware of such a convention will greatly admire the use of the prop as a metaphor of traditionalism and even hopeless disenchantment with personal love affairs and the understated representation of the despair upon reluctantly facing the estrangement of a loved one. Thus, as the girl meets with friends and the family of her boyfriend, we understand the narrative gimmick in To Ride a Bicycle as a chance to get a shy glimpse into the mindset of a heartbreak, depicted in an unembellished, realistic and even faintly rebellious way.
HIDDEN ARMY by Mohammad Esmaeili
 
An injured soldier caught in warfare crossfire finds himself mesmerised by the presence of a woman nearby. This ten minute short is action packed and tension filled. As far as narrative is concerned, Hidden Army has very little of it. Nevertheless, the lack of a portrayal of the "enemy", which seems omnipresent on the scene, adds an unsettling element to the element and suspense as well as an air of unpredictability to the tension created in the film. Perhaps the film works more as an attentive recreation of an impressive and creative cinematic language, which faces up to tightknit budget by managing an impressive array of solid special effects and, even more impressively, exceptionally creative photography. In the end, there is even type for a little metaphysical mystery, which adds further unexpected reward and contextualises this Esmaili's short film in a dramatic sense instead of a strictly action genre one.
LIKE EVERY DAY by Emad Khodabakhsh
 
A clumsy delivery man finds suddenly finds himself in a situation with a pregnant woman, as abrupt circumstances require him to take care of her and take her to the hospital to deliver her baby. Comedy and drama walk hand in hand in Like Every Day. The central male figure is slapstick like in his evident awkwardness, and a faintly frustrating inability to act with complete responsibility. Yet, in the end, his warmth shines as he develops an interest in the woman when her husband seems unable to show up. All this makes for an entertaining watch, but also allows for a tenderness to shine in a film that is also obviously wrapped in chaos that is equally spurred on by the coldness of most of the side figures that inhabit the hospital - an examination of a setting that seems to be true to the representation of the rush and despair of a its geographical setting.

DUET by Navid Danesh
 
Filmmaker Navid Danesh clearly channels the spirit of possibly the most celebrated modern Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami in his charming and emotionally dense short Duet. The story of the film centres around two couples, and a fortuitous meeting between a man and a woman who were former lovers. The structure of the film is so delightfully simplistic, as is the camera placement that recalls Ten by the aforementioned Kiarostami in the car sequences, which open and close the film. But it is also an examination of loves past and presence, of heart breaking melancholia portrayed with such bluntness and such focus that it simply comes across as successful in its intent and fully able to connect with the audience, an intent that is made all the more impactful by the slow and meditative rhythm that Danesh employs, which allows every word and every look to really sink in.
UNKNOWN by Salah Salehi
 
There is no embellishment in this blunt portrayal of an intensely farfetched social reality. The story takes place on the Iran-Kurdistan border, and it revolves around the hopeless journey of a soldier and a policeman who, under official orders, are to bury a man who committed suicide in one of the holy grounds of a number of villages. The task is hopeless because the inhabitants of the village will not allow the corpse of the suicide victim to be buried on their grounds, as it goes against their beliefs - most of which seem farfetched superstitions. A heavily dramatic short that throws us into a difficult and potent socio political exploration, which is carefully balanced by careful attention to the "human factor" and musings on morality. At once thrilling and darkly captivating, Unknown clearly reveals a wonderfully written movie that takes advantage of a subject that would certainly be enrichened in a feature length version, in which greater psychologic depth would get a chance to be examined. Worthy of note are the performances by the actors who portray the central subjects of the policeman and the soldier. Their force clearly shows particularly in their troubling blank stares and long silences, that seem to speak loudly about their internal struggles and their relatioship with the surrounding cultural and religious values.