People caught in challenging situations are focus of Iranian cinema at DIFF 2010

Dubai, UAE; December 16, 2010: The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival has two powerful films from Iran that tell us the stories of people caught in challenging situations.

Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi’s feature film, ‘The House Under the Water (Khaneye Zire Ab)’ marks its World Premiere at DIFF, today (Friday, Dec. 17, 6 pm) at Cinestar 2, Mall of the Emirates. The film follows two teenagers, Morteza and Taher, who are involved in the accidental drowning of Taher’s younger brother. Thirty years later, Morteza is freshly released from prison and looking to rebuild his life when he is suspected in a death of another drowned child – and Taher, now a police officer, is investigating. The film will also be screened on Dec. 18, 3.15 pm at Cinestar 6.

Director Mohsen Abdolvahab debuts with ‘Please Do Not Disturb,’ in which we see three stories that take place in Tehran, Iran. In the first story, we see a young woman who has been beaten by her husband. The woman is about to complain to the authorities, but the husband is concerned about his job and the embarrassment. The next story is about a clergyman whose wallet and documents have been stolen. The clergyman enters into a complicated negotiation with the thief. The last story is the story of an elderly couple whose TV has broken. The couple are alone in the building and are afraid of opening the door to the young repairman. In each of these stories, the characters are faced with a moral dilemma and sometimes make surprising choices.  The film will be screened today (Friday) 8.30 pm at Cinestar 3.

‘The Hunter,’ the fifth feature film from Iranian director Rafi Pitts of ‘Season Five’ and ‘Sanam’ fame, follows a Tehrani man who snaps and turns sniper after losing his wife and six-year-old daughter in the run-up to Iran’s disputed 2009 elections. He flees and is captured in the misty forests of the north, but the situation becomes complicated when his captors lose their way in the woods. The film, a Gulf premiere, will be screened on Dec. 18, 9 pm at Cinestar 1, and on Dec. 19, 2.45 pm at Cinestar 9.

Shahin Parhami’s documentary ‘Amin’ is a journey of discovery into the heartlands of Iran and the slowly disappearing folk music of the ancient Qashqai tribes of southern Iran. The film is a powerful meditation on cultural loss through the eyes of a postgraduate music student on a quest to find himself. The film, a Middle East premiere, will be screened today (Friday), 3.30 pm at Cinestar 7.

DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. 

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: Cinestar Mall of the Emirates, the Madinat Souk, The Walk at JBR, and the CNN Building in Dubai Media City. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website, www.dubaifilmfest.com.