Iranian Film Festival in Boston Featuring Works by Rasoulof, Beyzai, and Parviz Sayyad

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is once again hosting a diverse collection of Iranian cinema works in various styles, including films by Mohammad Rasoulof, Bahram Beyzai, and Parviz Sayyad. Despite severe government censorship in Iran, this film festival presents captivating and watchable films from Iranian filmmakers to art enthusiasts. "The Fig Tree of Temples" directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, "My Favorite Cake" by Maryam Maqdami and Behtash Sanaeiha, "The Stranger and the Fog" by Bahram Beyzai, "Turkey's Song" by Matthew Rankin, "My Stolen Planet" by Farahnaz Sharifi, "Six in the Morning" by Mehran Modiri, and "Dead End" by Parviz Sayyad are among the works being screened in this edition of the festival. Several filmmakers featured in this edition have either faced violent confrontations with the Islamic Republic or are in exile, and the Iranian government seeks to punish these filmmakers with "fabricated charges." Mohammad Rasoulof, a prominent Iranian filmmaker, recently left Iran secretly and went to Germany. Bahram Beyzai and Parviz Sayyad are other filmmakers living in the U.S. who continue their artistic activities outside of Iran. The coordinators of this cinematic event told Voice of America that the Iranian Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has a long-standing history and is considered a valuable program. According to them, the festival does not have a specific theme but is organized in a way that aligns with broader topics at the museum, including exhibitions and other programs. They state that the films in this edition include a collection of works with strong artistic viewpoints and direction that relate to world literature and storytelling. For instance, in the film "The Stranger and the Fog" by Bahram Beyzai, Iranian myths play a significant role, and the film "Dead End" by Parviz Sayyad is inspired by the plays of Anton Chekhov, the Russian writer. The coordinators also mention that Mary Apick, the actress from the film "Dead End," and Farahnaz Sharifi, the director of "My Stolen Planet," will be present at this year's festival and will participate in the film screening program. In the acclaimed film "Dead End" directed by Parviz Sayyad, Mary Apick, Apick Youssefian, Bahman Zarrinpour, Mansoureh Shadmanesh, and Parviz Bahador perform. Mary Apick, who is traveling to Boston for the festival, told Voice of America: "Dead End is a very different work, with broader dimensions than its time, made two years before the Iranian uprising and revolution." She adds that "Dead End is considered one of the Iranian films where the main story revolves around a female character. It is important to note that such an approach was very significant at a time when there were still challenging views about the role of women in the region and Iran." According to Ms. Apick, "Dead End" is a "subtle romantic drama" that tells the story from the perspective of a young girl during that politically turbulent time. Mary Apick won the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1977 (1356) for her role in this work. This was one of the first cinematic awards given to Iranian actresses at global festivals and received significant media attention. The screening of Iranian films at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston began on January 17 (28 Dey) and will continue until February 7 (19 Bahman).