A good movie does not stay on the ground / “Derb” has a talent for public screening

Theater News Base: Hadi Mohaghegh Filmmaking is a well-known name that has made works such as “Iro”, “Memiro”, “Bordo”. The filmmaker is participating in the 40th edition of the Fajr Film Festival with a work called “Derb”, the screenplay of which he also wrote himself. Seyed Reza Mohaghegh is also the producer of the film. “Darb” has been filmed in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces and in the villages around the city of Souk, and is ready to participate in the Simorgh Soda section of the Fajr Festival. On the occasion of the presence of this film in the Fajr Film Festival, we had an interview with Hadi Mohaghegh, which you can read below:

When we hear the name of the movie “Door”, it is vague and incomprehensible to us. How much does this name go back to the script? How close is it to the subject and what does it mean?

“Derb” means hard ground, first we were going to shoot in a village called Derb, but we found a more suitable location, and then the name came with the script, and then as we went further, it found a semantic match with the characters in the film, and for other reasons. The name of the film is now “Door”.

Do you play in the movie yourself?

Yes.

How did you decide to appear in this film as an actor director?

The first thing I did was try not to play and be myself. It was a bit complicated both to be in front of the camera and to want to control the film, and it had its difficulties; But since we brought several people in front of the camera, due to the details of the character, the whole group came to the conclusion that I would play that role against my will. In fact, given the time and the circumstances and all that was happening, that was the only way left.

That is, several people tested for that role?

Yes, they even came in front of the camera and we made a plan.

How many actors were these faces or non-actors?

Everyone was a loser; But when we looked at the plot, we saw that it did not play a role, and we constantly postponed filming and took other sequences to get to those situations. In the end, we saw that there was no way, and based on the circumstances, our only option was to play the role by myself.

How did you choose the other actors in “Door”?

They were also found almost at work and in the course of our work. I already knew some of them. During this work, there were even a few people who promised to play, and when we called, they said we had work to do and we could not play. As a result, we had to find someone else.

Given the names of the actors in the film, why did you go for the loser? Or should I say, what feature did you want to give to the film that you chose a non-actor and did not go to the actors?

This is my usual way; I mean, I have applied this method in all my works except for the movie “Bordo”. I feel that this might make the film look more real. Because when an actor comes, he brings something other than himself, and I feel that from the very beginning, the film is leaked and we always do our best not to leak the film. This creates some sensory bounce.

So the “door” is the same style and context that always runs in your filmmaking?

I have no predictions for the future, but so far it has been so. This is more of a necessity of work, that is, you must see what the necessity of work is; But so far I have gone so far as to try to choose people who can speak the same dialect and wear the same clothes. We even use the same costumes of the actors to make them look more real.

Is the subject of the film related to your personal life?

In a way, you can say yes. After all, every filmmaker builds his or her personal life in a film that the filmmaker has in some way, that is, we either paint our personal imaginations or create a work.

There is no clothing design at work?

No, we also have a costume designer in the movie; But I mean, we do what we do. In fact, it represents the truth.

Can it be said that “Derb” is close to the genre of documentary fiction or cinematic documentary?

The film is a story, but all films try to look like documentaries. The director’s importance is to take the film to a point where it becomes clear that it is real. That is, he does not want to act and the audience to get involved with the film. This happens when we follow these details to create the empathy we are talking about.

You said in an interview that the movie “Door” was made for art and experience, right?

No, talking to people has become a bit scary; Because we say one thing and they write another. The person asked me about the release, and I said that there might be some issues with this, despite the fact that I think “Darb” has the potential to be released in public cinemas. The level of the Iranian audience has changed and is promising. If “Door” is a good movie, people will welcome it after its release. We must choose the audience of power, not limit them to a series of works. The film can also be screened in cinemas that are ubiquitous and ordinary. Due to the components of the film, it can be screened in other cinemas besides art experience. Because the cinema wants the story that this film has, it wants the technical specifications that are observed in “Door” and it does not have only one element, which is the lack of an actor. Of course, in my opinion, the feature that is most important; It is a story and the “door” has it. This film has elements of art and experience; But it also has the power and talent to be shown in other cinemas.

When it comes to art and experience, some people think that the film is suitable for a special group and is not welcomed by the general public.

“Bordeaux” may also be an art and experience film; But it had a large audience. Some personal divisions and definitions may be applied to the issue by us, otherwise it is a strategic mistake that we want to decide to make a film for certain people. Because we want to make a film and the components have to be taken into account. If we want to decide to select a select audience, it is wrong and it becomes a bit difficult. We make films for everyone; Not just a specific group.

The films presented at the Fajr Film Festival will be screened for all people. When some traits, such as that a film is specific to a specific cinema audience, come with a film, it leads to a smaller number of people to watch that film at the Fajr Film Festival. But in the opinion, one should look at the film without presuppositions and destroy this initial presupposition. Maybe the same film that made art and experience is also a good film.

It is true. There is no discussion of the good and the bad of movies at this time; Rather, it is a matter of grouping and creating defaults before the films are screened at the Fajr Film Festival.

Maybe these words should be changed little by little and this model of looking should be broken, which of course does not happen overnight. In this way, the news community can show the audience a more appropriate path. That is, it no longer matters what form the film is made in, but it does matter whether the film is a film, even if it is animation and social cinema, because there are so many social films that should not be licensed for good or bad in the first place. He went and watched the film without prejudice. I recently realized that the movie “Door” has this talent, and I mistakenly announced the news that was released some time ago that this movie was made for “Art and Experience”. The “door” can communicate with people, as if we go a little further, if my guess is not wrong, we see this connection with the audience.

Tell us a little about the story space of the movie “Door”.

It is the story of an electricity official who wants to connect electricity to a house in the village.

Is its genre social?

It can be said that it is social.

How did the subject and the initial design of the movie “Door” come about?

I had a friend named Hossein Eskandari, who is the head of the electricity department. He was present in all the electrical relations of the villages from time to time. Hussein Eskandari went beyond his duty and it was very thought-provoking for me that those around him are so important to a person. He does not consider himself at all and tries his best to untie someone in relation to his job conditions. I wanted to sit next to him for hours and go out with him. I focused on his words, how real and honest this character can be, and I saw that all his words are honest.

So the script for “Door” was written by a real character?

The story is for me; But the source of my inspiration was Mr. Hossein Eskandari.

When did you start producing “Darb”?

Nowruz, we started production this year and it continued until recently. In total, it took almost a year to build the “door”.

How long did it take to write the script?

It took two to three years to write the script, but it was produced from Nowruz this year.

In the 40th edition of the Fajr Film Festival, the number of well-known and experienced directors is low. Should this be considered a good omen for the entry of young people in the field of cinema or an inappropriate decision of the selection committee?

It cannot be said that it is good or bad. We are in this situation and it is difficult to define good or bad for it. However, these films are the result of the decisions of those who have seen all the films; But if there were 6 or 7 other people on the selection committee of this period, maybe they would have chosen other films.

Do you consider the tastes of the selection committee involved in the way they are selected?

Yes, their tastes are involved, and according to them, there is a screening license, and sometimes the filmmaker himself does not want the work to participate in the Fajr Film Festival. Now we are in this situation and these videos have been selected. Perhaps in terms of nostalgia and many events, we would like famous directors to always be present at the festival. Anyway, we are following these people to see their next works or how much they have grown. Maybe one of these early films is much better than a fourth. We can no longer comment and judge on what we do not know. You should see the films during the Fajr Film Festival. Every movie finds its own path and does not stay on the ground, as the good movie says.

What stage is the “door” in?

It’s almost done, and there are only a few retouches left that we try to finish faster.

Other elements of “Door” are: Writer and Director: Hadi Mohaghegh, Producer: Seyed Reza Mohaghegh, Director of Photography: Mansour Abdrezaei, Composer: Mohammad Darabi-Fifar, Director of Photography and Photographer: Amir Mehdi Nouri, Editor: Farshad Abbasi, Voice: Hossein Ghorchian, Costume Designer and Production Manager: Issa Khybermanesh, Color Correction: Saman Majdofai, Poster Designer: Babak Yadegarian and Public Relations Manager: Naghmeh Danesh Ashtiani with Sepideh Shariat Razavi

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