Which press conferences of Fajr Film Festival became controversial? Hot seats outside the movie theater

Charso Press: The press conferences of Fajr Film Festival, with all its flaws and shortcomings, are a place to exchange opinions and provide information about the cinematographic works present in this cultural event. The most important arena for promoting and highlighting a movie is provided to filmmakers and people of cinema, so that fans of Iranian cinema can be familiarized with different media methods. However, this media space has become a place for conflicts and verbal debates that have even disrupted the fate of a film’s screening.

A writer’s strange comment!
“Nemur” by Dawood Bidel was screened on the last day of the 40th Fajr Film Festival and the press conference was not very crowded, however, it had some side effects. Noushin Mearaji, the author of the screenplay of this work, brought up an article that had many reactions. He said: “When two people love each other, the love that exists between them is so sacred that they are engaged even without concubines, the child born from them, in my opinion, is halal-born!”
The video of these talks was widely republished in the virtual space and was met with protests by social network users. The work even reached the podium of the Friday prayer, and almost at the same time, a clip was released, the authenticity of the images of which was questioned by the organizers as what happened at the Fajr Film Festival. The film, which did not have a large audience in Milad Tower, brought a lot of reactions and sidelines with a controversial comment.

Hatamikia’s defense of the film Shiyar 143
“Shiyar 143” was screened at the 32nd Fajr Film Festival. This movie was directed by Narges Abiyar and Maryla Zarei was also in it as the main actress. The press conference of this film in the festival was followed by the sidelines that were tied to the name of Ebrahim Hatamikia. This director was present at this meeting and in a short speech while praising the film Shiyar 143, he said to the judges: “What kind of combination is there in the selection committee that leads to such a choice. This is a problem for me. What a dream happened to these friends who couldn’t tolerate the film “Shiyar 143″ in the festival and its actors were forced to lobby to attend the festival. These kids have just entered the cinema, they don’t have a big support, the then minister takes a souvenir photo with them but doesn’t give them a budget. These children must be supported. How should this film have been supported.” Hatamikia was referring to the initial list of films of the 32nd festival, in which the film Shiyar 143 was not included. The director’s defense of the sacred defense of Shiyar 143 and of course the theme of this film made Narges Abiyar’s second film more popular than expected.

I do not adhere to the slogan of the festival secretary
“Simple Reception” was screened at the 30th Fajr Film Festival. Mani Haghighi was the director and Taraneh Alidousti was the main actor of the film. At the beginning of the film’s meeting, Mani Haghigi stated that as a director, he does not like to talk about the points in the film, because it is a personal matter and explaining it is a difficult and complicated task. Mani Haghighi’s statements were accompanied by many reactions.
Then, in response to the question that this film does not match the slogan of the festival, he said: “A slogan is a slogan and it should be ignored, of course, as long as it is a slogan.” I did not give the slogan of hope, awareness and morality, but the secretary of the festival gave this slogan and I do not adhere to the slogan of others. Consciousness, which has been seen a lot in this film, and everything I have felt about the hope in the society, I have put in my film. This film is a moral work, and I was worried that it was too moral.”

This is my film and nothing can be done
On February 17, 1992, the film “The Last 50 Steps” directed by Kyomarth Pourahmad was screened at the 32nd Fajr Film Festival. This movie faced negative reaction from the audience from the moment it was shown. The press conference was not short of margins. At the press conference, opinions were raised about the weaknesses of this film, but Pourahmad responded to these criticisms by saying: “Anyway, that’s what “The Last 50 Steps” is all about. I will touch the sound a little, otherwise the movie is the same and nothing can be done about it. I apologize if anyone doesn’t like the second part of the movie. I have tried my best and rewritten the script many times.”
In another part of the meeting, he said about some of his words not being conveyed correctly in the interviews: “Some friends either their recordings are broken, or their ears are broken, or their understanding is broken!” Because in some interviews that I didn’t check myself, the concepts and tone have changed.”

Kimiyai’s fight with his producer
The movie “The Domestic Killer” directed by Masoud Kimiaei was screened at the 35th Fajr Festival. The press conference of this film was followed by many controversies and the reason was the fight between the producer and the director of this movie. Lashkari Gouchani, who was in charge of the production of the domestic killer, said about the film that it is a good work and will be even better. I resist and believe that there are 14 minutes of games in this movie that can be interrupted. This talk was met with a chemical reaction that this is not your responsibility. Guchani continued that cinema is a group work and I came to cinema based on this belief. I tried to get a strong group to be with the master so that you can see a good movie. I did something for the teacher to achieve what he wants. If some people are rent-seekers and this movie wants to talk about it, marginalizing it is wrong. Kimiaei replied that the margins are yours. He also continued to say that Guchani is a respectable person and his work was propaganda. This film has size, method and producer and I will not spoil my film for my son after 50 years. Of course, this part of Kimiai’s speech was in response to the rumors about Polad Kimiai’s role increasing in the film.

Journalists leave in protest of insulting Mani Haghighi
Mani Haghighi, who appeared as an actor in the film “Nagar” directed by Rambad Javan, at the press conference of this film at the 35th Fajr International Film Festival, faced the protest of two journalists. The first journalist who took the microphone to ask a question expressed his displeasure with his presence in the meeting and said: “Mr. Young, I will not raise a question as long as the real Mani Haghighi, the one who insulted the journalists, is present in the meeting.” He then left the meeting in protest.
When the next reporter took the microphone, he presented the words of the previous reporter in a different way and said that it is better for him to apologize to the reporters in this meeting. After that, a number of other journalists cheered their recording devices away from Haghigi and their colleagues. This discussion ended when Mani Haghighi said: “I am willing to continue the discussion with you media people here or anywhere else, but since I have come here tonight for Rambad Jawan movie, I have to postpone it to another time. postponed However, I believe that if this happens and the conditions for this dialogue are created, misunderstandings will be resolved and both parties will speak their words.” The journalists protested against the statements of Mani Haghigi who had used an insulting phrase on his social page a few months ago.
Young Rambad also requested the journalists to separate the issue of real insult to the journalists from the “Nagar” press conference and return the meeting to its normal routine.

Lawsuit with Mohsen Tanabandeh
“Oath” directed by Mohsen Tanabandeh was screened on the 9th day of the 37th Fajr Film Festival. One of the most important topics that caused controversy in this press conference was a discussion about the jurisprudential issue of Qosamah (swearing). This issue was challenged by a person who introduced himself as a lawyer, and after some discussion, Tanabandeh answered him: “Three judges have been consultants for the script of this film, and from the legal point of view, there is no problem with it. Also, I have studied more than 50 judicial cases that have come to me confidentially and I have complete respect for them. Anyway, I must say that if you are more stubborn than those three judges, go and discuss this issue with them, because each section of the law has interpretations based on which the story has progressed.
In another part of this meeting, Mahnaz Afshar, who played the main role of the film, said about the questions related to the financial transparency of the project: “Why has our society gone in a direction where we don’t see what is being said in it. Why don’t we pay attention to the goodness of a work? Have you ever asked about where the salaries of journalists and news agencies come from? For me, the result of your pen is important and your honor is important. In the end, if something is good, let’s say that their hands don’t hurt.”

Hijazifar’s objection to the reporter’s question
“Atabai” was one of the phenomena of the 38th Fajr Film Festival. Niki Karimi was the producer and director of this film, and Hadi Hejazifar wrote the work. The movie was shown in Turkish with Persian subtitles. At the press conference of the film, there was a sharp confrontation between Hijazifar and the reporter who had criticized the language of the film. In response to the journalist’s criticism, Hijazifar said: “These are fascist thoughts and no one has the right to insult the Turkish language.” According to the constitution, Turkish literature should be taught in Turkish colleges. You can’t imagine how hard this film was made and it was not supported by many spaces that should have been supported and I saw the true meaning of being independent in this film and I hope this film will be looked at more kindly.

Hot words of Hatamikia in the exit meeting
If we want to talk about the most controversial press conference of the 38th Fajr Film Festival, the name of Ebrahim Hatamikia and the movie “Exit” will undoubtedly be heard. In this meeting, he was criticized a lot and sometimes he got angry and answered loudly. At the beginning of the meeting, he said about the criticism of his film: “Some people like a movie like Exit and some people don’t like it, but I don’t like rudeness. Beloved! What is our sin? We who make films, why is the behavior of a court? For me, a soldier, what is my language and tone, what kind of shameless language is this? Do you enjoy saying that my decade has passed and you are actually returning my sentence to me? The day Ali Hatami left, was his place filled? What is this method you do with us? I am sick of this place. I have made 20 films so far and I always come here (festival press conference), but why does it get harder every year? The pressure here is like the pressure of the first night of the grave. I am upset about this tension. I have spent my life for my films and I have not undersold any film. It may seem simple to line up all these tractors on the road, why so much nudity? why are you hitting on me We should be proud to be together, because we are the cultural soldiers of this country.”
In another part of his speech, he said: “I make my film and say what I want to say in my film. I am talking about my movie. Whoever wants to do something, go do it with his film. Talking with Instagram and a few photos is not art.

Shahab Hosseini’s criticism of Kimiaei
It was Bahman 20 of 1998 that the press conference of the movie “Sheen” directed by Maysam Kazazi and produced by Shahab Hosseini, which was one of the films screened in the out-of-competition section of the 38th Fajr Film Festival, was held. Hosseini’s statements in this meeting had some side effects. In an article about the boycotters of the festival, he said in an address to Masoud Kimiaei: “I can’t stand it and I can’t sit quietly that a veteran master of cinema, whose works have been treated uncomfortably every year, is making a film this year that he knows will have a negative reaction.” And for this reason, he makes an offering of the spilled oil to Imamzadeh and lays a stone foundation, the result of which is nothing but divisiveness, and he leaves the rest in moral limbo. This is unfair, why should a person be so selfish that he does not consider anyone.”
He continued: “If we lost 176 loved ones in an accident and this terrible thing happened, is it possible to dump this issue on a bunch of other elites?”

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