The film 'Lolita Reading in Tehran' at the Cannes Market; Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi co-star

The presence of the film 'Lolita Reading in Tehran' at the Cannes Film Festival market has finally been confirmed; a work adapted from the famous and bestselling novel of the same name by Azar Nafisi. According to 'Variety', this film directed by Eran Riklis features a group of prominent Iranian actors including Golshifteh Farahani, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, and Mina Kavani. The story of the novel 'Lolita Reading in Tehran' takes place in the days following the Iranian Revolution and during the period of rising extremism in the country, focusing on a brave teacher who secretly teaches her seven female students banned Western literary works. Golshifteh Farahani shared a photo of herself with the other actors in the film on her Instagram account, writing: 'Reading the novel Lolita in Tehran with these angels on earth was an endless pleasure.' The film's synopsis states: 'With the rise of the Islamic Republic, moral squads in Tehran began arbitrary attacks, while conservatives also took over universities. However, women whose rights were systematically erased gathered in Azar Nafisi's room and risked everything to find a safe space, remove their hijabs, and express their opinions.' It continues: 'Despite the great dangers, when the stories of these women intertwine with the novels they read, they find hope. Lolita, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Miller, Pride and Prejudice, they talk about their dreams in this place and think about Iran, wondering if the only way to achieve freedom is to leave a home they still love.' This film is being presented at the Cannes market at a time when, given the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in Iran, it will be more appealing to buyers. This movement began last September following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was in the custody of Iran's morality police, and continues to this day. 'Lolita Reading in Tehran' is a co-production between Italy and Israel. The producers include Michael Scharfstein, Marika Stokki, Moshe Edri, Saman Versace, Gianluca Corti, and Eran Riklis. Several different artistic and cinematic companies participated in the production process. This work was filmed in Italy and is currently in post-production. According to Variety, Eran Riklis, the film's director, said: 'Lolita Reading in Tehran, which depicts both human relationships and political and global issues, evoked deep emotions in me.' He added: 'I was fully aware of the potential complexity of narrating such an intimate story of Iranian women, and I knew it was an extraordinary and emotional challenge shaped by a global perspective on human struggle wherever and whenever it occurs.' Eran Riklis reminds us: 'I knew that my approach to storytelling, respect, emotion, dignity, love, and responsibility would always prevail and overcome any obstacle. Azar's world has now become part of my world, and I strongly believe that her story needs to be told more than ever.' This director is a prominent Israeli filmmaker known for works such as 'The Lemon Tree' and 'The Syrian Bride'. 'Lolita Reading in Tehran' is being presented by the company 'West-End' at the Cannes market. West-End also has another film about Iran in this market directed by Zar Amir-Ebrahimi and Israeli Guy Nattiv. 'Untitled Judo' is about an Iranian female athlete who is pressured by the Islamic Republic not to compete against her Israeli opponent in the world championships. This article was compiled using reports from Variety and Hollywood Reporter.