Iran Film Week was held in the Romanian capital Bucharest, on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian ambassador to Romania, and cinema officials, artists and citizens from both sides attended the event, IRNA reported.
Praising the status of Iranian cinema in the international arena, managing director of the Romanian National Center for Cinematography Mihai Fluger admired the efforts of Iranian filmmakers, and hoped that via enhanced cultural interaction between the two countries, their people “come to a better understanding of each other’s culture and history.”
“One of our main objectives in supporting such programs is to develop cultural ties between Iranian and Romanian cinema society,” he noted.
It may be recalled that an agreement had been signed to enhance cultural interaction during a visit to Iran by Liliana Burlacu, Romania’s secretary of state for global affairs.
Distinguished
Hamid Moayer, the ambassador to Romania described Iranian cinema as enjoying “a unique school of thought.”
He said Iranian cinema has certain characteristics that distinguish it from western countries, “like paying attention to humanity and moral values, adopting a poetic approach, avoiding immoral scenes and violence, and respect for human relations.”
Characterizing Iranian cinema as enjoying a rich tradition and a rapid growth after the revolution, Moayer said the common culture between the two countries is the reason why Romanians are interested in Iranian cinema.
Spiritual Journey
Drawing an analogy between Iranian cinema and the famous Persian carpet, Laurentiu Damian, Romanian film director, said “Iranian cinema for Romanian filmmakers is similar to Romanian enthusiasts of the Persian carpet, as both have made their spiritual journey from their long history and tradition.”
Damian, who is also the head of the guild of Romanian cinema artists, hailed Iranian movies for winning Palme d’Or (Golden Palm), Golden Lion, and Golden Bear prizes, among others, in recent years.
Lauding Iranian cinema for being “value-based, moralistic, and spiritual,” he underlined the efforts of Iranian filmmakers in making the best use of a variety of prominent global styles, techniques and school of thoughts.
‘Don’t Be Tired’ by Mohsen Gharaei was screened for the audience. Other movies to be screened include: ‘The Painting Pool’ by Maziar Miri, ‘A Cube of Sugar’ by Reza Mirkarimi, and ‘Kissing the Moon-Like Face’ by Homayoon As’adian.
