The opening of the third week of Chinese films in Iran/Khazaei: Cinema is the great highway of communication between nations
According to Fars news agency, the opening ceremony of the third Chinese film week was held in Farabi Cinema Foundation on Saturday evening, May 16, 1402, with the presence of a group of political, cultural and artistic figures and Iranian and Chinese cinematographers.
* The platform for interactions between Iranian and Chinese cinema has been provided more than before
Seyed Mehdi Javadi, CEO of Farabi Cinema Foundation, expressing his satisfaction that the third Chinese Film Week will be held in Iran and hosted by Farabi Cinema Foundation, said: “Chinese culture, with its age and breadth, has many human and moral dimensions, whose spiritual roots have deep connections.” has created between the two cultures of Iran and China. Today’s era can be a representation of two ancient cultures and eastern civilizations, which have found an even greater alignment in view of the new world order.
Stating that the opportunity of cinema is a great opportunity to expand cultural cooperation between the two countries, he continued: the presence of Iranian cinema in Chinese film events, including the Shanghai International Film Festival, Beijing, etc., and the presence of Chinese cinema in prominent Iranian festivals, including the film festival Fajr, children’s and teenagers’ film festival, Tehran’s truth cinema and short films have created many interactions over the past years, which I hope will increase in the future.
Javadi stated: One of the points that can help strengthen these relations is the realization of joint Iranian-Chinese film productions, which was pursued between the Farabi Cinema Foundation and China Film Group last year, and it is hoped that with the greater intensity of this interaction, This year will continue so that next year we will see these joint works on the screen in the fourth China Film Week.
Referring to other film interactions between the two countries of Iran and China, he said: Among the other programs of Farabi that are being pursued by the film organization, is the issue of holding joint events, which I hope will see the formation of a joint working group to strengthen cinema with the participation of the countries Be a member of the Shanghai Pact. Also, the expansion of production technologies, the transfer of modern production technologies, and the creation of infrastructure are among the other issues we have an understanding with Chinese cinema.
The CEO of Farabi pointed to the introduction of the selected films to be shown in China Film Week and said: This week we will watch works of Chinese cinema that represent the new generation of Chinese cinematographers. Just as the first film club of Farabi recently introduced 87 young filmmakers, the new generation of Chinese filmmakers is also being introduced. Holding film weeks, on the other hand, can help other countries to recognize Iranian cinematographers in a new way and provide a platform for future interactions between Iranian and Chinese cinema and other countries.
* Screening of the first silent feature film of Chinese cinema at the Farabi Cinema Foundation
In the continuation of the ceremony, the exclusive video message of Sun Xianghui, the head of the National Film Archive of China, was broadcast to the third week of Chinese films in Iran.
The head of China National Film Archive said in this video message: “On behalf of China Film Archive, I congratulate the organizers of the third China Film Week in Iran. China Film Archive is a national archive and an official member of the Federation of International Film Archives. It has been 65 years since its establishment, and we always promote the exchange of Chinese and foreign films. Since 2022, we have held Chinese film events in 16 countries. Among the films screened at these events, there is a unique film called “Eshq Kargari” which is a classic silent short film.
Chinese film was born in 1905 and this film was made in 1922 and is the first fiction film in Chinese cinema. Considering the 100th anniversary of its production, we will show the remake of this work for the first time to Iranian audiences.
*Iranian films have always shined in international festivals in China
“Chang Hua”, the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Iran, was also the next speaker of the opening ceremony of the third week of Chinese films.
After thanking Mohammad Khazaei and hosting Seyed Mehdi Javadi and the team organizing this event, he said: Film is the art of light and shadow, a mirror of reality and a messenger of culture, and plays an important role in learning about different civilizations.
Emphasizing that China and Iran have magnificent and old civilizations, he said: The theater of the Farabi Cinema Foundation is named after Abbas Kiarostami, a great filmmaker who traveled to China four times to make films in the last two years of his life, and the filmmakers The Chinese made a documentary film called “March with Abbas Kiarostami” with his presence.
In another part of his speech, the Chinese ambassador said: Iranian films have won many awards at Chinese festivals, including Shanghai and Beijing, and Chinese cinematographers have also made films that have improved the understanding of the audience. In this way, Iranian and Chinese works enter people’s homes, and all this shows the high quality of the development of cooperation between China and Iran in the field of cinema.
“Chang Hua” stated that Chinese films have their roots in ancient civilizations and are permeated by Eastern humanistic feelings, emphasizing: These works have colorful forms and themes. Chinese films have grown especially in the last decade. In 2022, China’s film box office has sold four billion and 360 million dollars, and the number of viewers in its city cinemas reaches 712 million people.
He continued: During the recent visit of the honorable president of Iran to China, these two countries signed a statement on expanding cultural cooperation and strengthening the bond between their people. I sincerely hope that China Film Week will introduce more Chinese films to Iranian audiences and that Iranian friends will also introduce Chinese films to other audiences.
Broadcasting of a video message by “Tsao Juen”, the editor-in-chief of the China Filmmakers Association, and “He Wenchuan”, the CEO of the International Festival Center, was another part of this ceremony.
* There are many undiscovered capacities for the development of Iranian-Chinese film cooperation
In the continuation of the opening ceremony of the third China Film Week, Mohammad Khazaei, Deputy Minister and Head of the Cinematic Organization of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, said: We are pleased to host the third Chinese Film Week in Iran. I welcome all of you, cultural managers, guests, artists, the honorable ambassador of China, cultural advisors and all brothers and sisters.
Stating that the cinema of Iran and China have distinctive and brilliant indicators and identifiers in the world, he said: I have no doubt that through the development of cultural and cinematic relations between the two countries of Iran and China, two nations with a long history and possessing culture and civilization will become more They approach each other.
The head of the Iranian Cinema Organization continued his speech and said: The extensive connection between the cinemas of the two countries is important because there are many undiscovered capacities for expansion and development in this area that can be taken into consideration. One of the features of this cooperation, along with the development of cultural relations, will be the economic strengthening of cinema and alignment for the exchange of experiences in various fields of hardware and software.
Khazaei reminded: The two-way, purposeful and progressing communication with Chinese cinema is part of the roadmap of the Iranian Cinematic Organization in the international field. Iranian cinema is prominent in the world because of its human and moral themes, and it owes all its credibility and power to the inclusion of two vital elements in Islamic and Eastern art.
He also continued by emphasizing the image-oriented feature of the current era: Iranian and Chinese cinema, with the historical, cultural and civilizational history of the two countries, can definitely be pioneers and standard-bearers in the “image-oriented world of today and the media age”; Especially since today we are witnessing the collapse of the unipolar world and the failure of the hegemony of the Western cinema monopoly and the formation of new cultural poles and emerging narratives.
He stated that the world remembers the two great civilizations of Iran and China with the Silk Road, and today’s cinema can be considered a metaphor for the same great highway, adding: I hope that with this cinematic event, the fields of continuous and effective cooperation between companies, film companies and To provide film buyers and distributors in China.
Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance stated: The project of showing the works and products of the image industry of the two countries on different platforms should be followed up with more seriousness and attention, so that due to the deep historical ties and cultural commonalities and effective cooperation in this field, communication and connection It can be made possible by the economy of culture and creating motivation for the presence of the activists of this art-industry.
Emphasizing that it is appropriate to mention the strategic role of the two countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Khazaei continued: In view of the ancient history of the two countries in the field of cinema and cultural and artistic cooperation, the formation of the Union of Cinematic and Audio-Visual Cooperation of the member countries Shanghai is considered very important and strategic.
The Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, with a proposed plan for the development of bilateral cultural and artistic cooperation, said: In this regard, it is suggested that the secretariat of this organization be established with the participation of countries with ancient history in the field of image industry to design and advance joint programs. to witness the formation of a joint market of activists in this field.
At the end of his speech, he said: I consider it appropriate to thank and appreciate the cooperation of the Chinese Embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communications, as well as the efforts of my colleagues at the Farabi Cinema Foundation for hosting this program.
The third week of Chinese films continues until May 20 at the Farabi Cinema Foundation with the screening of five films from the new generation of Chinese cinema.
“Joe Zihao”, China’s cultural consultant in Iran, Alireza Esmaili, Director General of Cinema Organization, Gholamreza Nejati, Security Director of Cinema Organization, Yazdan Ashiri, General Director of Public Relations of Cinema Organization, Masoud Ahmadian, Cultural Vice President of Farabi Cinema Foundation, Raed Faridzadeh, Vice President of International Affairs of Farabi Cinema Foundation , Mohammad Tayeb, director of the art and experience department, Saeed Saadi, Seyed Hamed Hosseini, Hojatullah Saifi, Ebrahim Asghari, Vahid Nikkhah Azad, Ali Royin Tan, Habib Wali Nejad, Hojat Qasimzadeh Asl, Mehdi Sajjadeh Chi, Ali Ashtianipour, Arman Khansarian, Arman Fayaz. , Hamid Zargrenjad, Nadera Turkmani, Hossein Rigi, Hossein Mirzamohammadi, Danesh Aqbashavi, Shafi Aghamohamedian, Mehdi Ahmadi, Adel Tabrizi, Abolfazl Safari and… were among those present at this event.
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