Festival Films A-Z

HFF Konrad Wolf
Holger Lochau
Marlene-Dietrich-Allee 11
14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 331 62 02 560
E-Mail:
h-lochau@hff-potsdam.de

Andreas Bergmann

Kai Minierski

HFF Konrad Wolf
Christina Marx
Marlene-Dietrich-Allee 11
14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 331 62 02 564
E-Mail: distribution@hff-potsdam.de

HFF Konrad Wolf
Christina Marx
Marlene-Dietrich-Allee 11
14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 331 62 02 564
E-Mail: distribution@hff-potsdam.de

Synopsis

The film was shot within seven days in July 2006 in Tehran, capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Shooting took place on the Vali Asr, the longest and oldest street in Tehran. It runs over 24 kilometres from the North to the South through the centre of the city and shows a picture of very different social classes and ideologies.

The name Vali Asr means 'Ruler of the Ages' and refers to the Imam Muhammad al Mahdi. According to the Shiite dogma Imam Mahdi is the twelfth and last direct successor of the Prophet. It is said he has been living in secrecy for centuries, out of public sight.

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran of 1979 designates the twelfth Imam as the Head of State. The Islamic religious scholars, the Ayatollahs, are only ruling as the Imam's representatives until his return from secrecy.

In this film, twelve people face the camera one after another; they mutely gaze into it for 45 seconds each. A personal object is assigned to each of these twelve people, except for the last one, a young girl. They had these objects with them when they were filmed.

The people filmed are: Adib Yazdi, Mohammed Mehdi Nikbakht, Mahvash Nozari, Maryam Zanganeh, Mohammad Fallah, Milad Hadji Babay, Robabeh Abdol Alipour, Shima Bayat, Ahmad Mohammadi, Rouzbeh Sadrara, Houshmand Gerami and Parisa Yegami.

Biography

Inter (2000), Heimatgedanken (2002), Sun in an Empty Room (2004)

Filmography

Inter (2000), Heimatgedanken (2002), Sun in an Empty Room (2004)