Life Under the Blade of Censorship and Death in 'The Depths of Night' by Farhad Vilkij

The feature film 'The Depths of Night' directed by Farhad Vilkij was showcased for the first time globally at the 77th Cannes Film Festival by the Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran, a non-governmental organization of Iranian filmmakers. This film is one of the latest works produced abroad with themes related to Iran, created in disregard of the censorship and limitations prevalent in official Iranian cinema. 'The Depths of Night' tells the story of a writer and translator, played by Ali Mosaffa, who, under pressure from censorship and various restrictions, goes with his wife and child to a remote village to finish writing a book. This film can symbolize the position of an intellectual in authoritarian and censored societies. Farhad Vilkij, the director of 'The Depths of Night', previously worked as an art designer in Iranian cinema and was a well-known figure in this field. He emigrated from Iran in the early 1990s, settled in the Netherlands, and continued his cinematic activities there. In an interview with 'Sahneh' of Radio Farda, Vilkij explained the process of making his first feature film. He states that the idea for his film was inspired by his acquaintance with an Iranian writer and translator: 'Years ago, I witnessed part of the life of an Iranian translator and writer that greatly affected me; the way of life and the efforts of this person for a belief he held. He is the one to whom the film is dedicated: Farhad Ghabraei. Even the name of my film's character is Farhad. The struggle he had to publish the translation of 'Journey to the End of the Night' by Céline and the poverty he faced and the difficult life he led and the family that suffered. The emigration he made to the north. These gave me a space, and this person's life always occupied my mind. I felt personal similarities when reading things about him. In those years, I didn’t know what to do with this person. Many years later, when I emigrated to the Netherlands and started filmmaking, I felt this story that had been in my mind for years needed to be made.' However, Vilkij states that the final story of his film is not directly related to Ghabraei's life, but his life and feelings had a significant impact on him. Vilkij explains that he did not insist on showing and emphasizing the Iranian aspect of the story: 'I tried to obscure the geography so that anyone could see the film based on their personal world. Censorship and exploitation exist everywhere in the world. This is a story that has been part of history for many years, where force is imposed on a writer who is working in a corner and trying to tell the truth. Of course, we have had many examples in our country; from the Armenia bus to serial killings and various cases. I think this topic has not been explored enough yet.' The film features actors Ali Mosaffa, Nawal Sharifi, Nora Hanifehzadeh, Golchin Santirjioğlu, Soroush Helali, and Morteza Farbad, with editing by Haideh Safiyari and music by Peyman Yazdani. The film is produced jointly by Farhad Vilkij and Kaveh Farnam and is introduced as a product of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Vilkij mentions that he preferred to work with those who know the story of the film by heart. One of the interesting aspects of making the film was that people said this story is ours. He also discusses the reasons for his discontinuation of collaboration with official Iranian cinema: 'At some point, I felt the space I belonged to in Iranian cinema changed; a cinema where people worked with heart and soul and where the meaning of cinema was pure art. That space turned into a very bad lumpenism. Money, currents, and other people entered who were unclear where they were connected. I felt that the goal of what was being made was no longer just that film and had become similar to political games. I saw I was entering a current that was completely different from all the beliefs and views I have on life; therefore, I decided to no longer work in [official Iranian] cinema.' Vilkij reflects on his experience working on films by some filmmakers close to the regime, such as working as a set designer on the film 'In the Name of the Father' by Ebrahim Hatamikia, stating: 'I knew another Ebrahim Hatamikia from 'Red Ribbon' and when I worked with him on 'In the Name of the Father', I was completely astonished whether this was the same person? I worked on 'In the Name of the Father' because it was an anti-war film. However, my current view is that I do not accept any of my films from that time and I do not want to work in any of the current films of official Iranian cinema.' He expresses hope for his film's presence in various festivals, suggesting that it will likely follow the path of other similar films and eventually reach its audience in Iran. Vilkij welcomes the new wave of unofficial and underground films from Iran as works that no longer depict lies, stating: 'I long for the new cinema coming from Iran that no longer contains lies.'