Following the trend in recent years of screening films in cinemas during the month of Ramadan, from Iftar (fast-breaking) at the time of sunset till dawn the next day, this year also, cinema halls throughout Iran will host filmgoers till morning.
The program “From Iftar Till Dawn” organized by the Iran Cinema Organization, Society of Iranian Cinema Halls Owners, and the Guild Council for Public Screenings, was first initiated in 2009, Honaronline reported.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting. People abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, and food and drink is served before dawn and after sunset.
The presence of law enforcement forces during the nighttime to maintain peace and order, and discounted ticket prices have encouraged families to go to the movies.
Movies screened during Ramadan also experience high sales. ‘Red Carpet’ by Reza Attaran did well at the box office, and was placed among last year’s bestsellers.
With only five days to go for Ramadan (commences June 18), three movies have been scheduled to go on screen. ‘A Time to Love’ by Alireza Raisian, ‘The Ice Age’ by Mostafa Kiaei, and ‘Guinness’ by Mohsen Tanabandeh will begin public screening on Wednesday (June 17).
Romantic Dramas
‘A Time to Love’ won the Crystal Simorgh for best screenplay (by Roya Mohaqeq) at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF). The movie is a romantic drama on the complications of human relations in modern time. Leila Hatami, Shahab Hosseini, Farhad Aslani, and Bita Farrahi are the actors.
‘The Ice Age’ won the Crystal Simorgh for editing at the 33rd FIFF and Sahar Doulatshahi won the award for best supporting actress. The rest of the cast includes Mahtab Keramati, Bahram Radan, Ana Nemati, and Mohsen Kiaei. A fourth film by Kiaei, it is a compelling social thriller, and chronicles the story of individuals in a nonlinear narrative.
‘Guinness’, a comedy, features Mohsen Tanabandeh and Reza Attaran, both famous for their comedies on TV and cinema. Tanabandeh’s first directing work, it is expected to do well due to the cast and the genre.
Other movies, currently showing in cinemas, to continue screening during Ramadan include ‘What’s the Time in Your World?’ by Safi Yazdanian, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad’s ‘The Tales’, and ‘The Whale’ by Saman Moqaddam.
Yazdanian’s directorial debut stars Leila Hatami and Ali Mosaffa.
A romantic/drama, it is the story of a woman, Goli (Hatami), coming back from Paris to her hometown Rasht, in northern Iran, after a long time. Everything in the city reminds her of her childhood and past memories. Wherever she goes, Goli is pursued by Farhad (Mosaffa, Hatami’s real-life husband, also a producer here), a childhood friend and university classmate whom she has seemingly forgotten.
The film is a delicate, understated exploration of memory, personal history and perceptions of the past in which Yazdanian cultivates an air of bittersweet nostalgia and lost opportunities. Beautiful shots from landscapes in northern Iran and the inspiring score by French-Iranian composer Christophe Rezai also contribute to the film’s appeal.
Bani-Etemad’s acclaimed drama ‘The Tales’ has won several international awards.
‘The Whale’ is a comedy starring Reza Attaran, a well-known comedian of Iran’s TV and cinema. Mahnaz Afshar and Vishka Asayesh also act beside Attaran. The movie has grossed over ten billion rials ($300,000) and is anticipated to find a place among the box-office hits this year.
