The 8th Parvin E’etesami Film Festival kicked off at Tehran’s Artists Forum on October 20.
A number of filmmakers, actors and officials attended the opening ceremony of the festival, which centers on different roles of women actors in cinema, MNA reported.
Head of Iran Cinema Organization Hojatollah Ayoubi said “this is a festival for the stars, a festival as important as Iranian women who try to immortalize their art simply, yet artistically.”
Festival director Maziar Rezakhani said: “the role of women in reinforcing family ties is the focus of the festival.”
Pointing out to the “gender discrimination” existing in all fields including art all through history, forum’s managing director Majid Sarsangi said such an attitude led to women “to be left out of the history of art for a long time.”
Holding the festival in the lofty name of the renowned Persian poetess Parvin, challenges all the clichés regarding the “misogynistic views or exploitation of women,” Sarsangi said adding “now, we have an opportunity to honor women who are active in the field of the 7th art (films) by hosting a festival named after one of the greatest women poets of the country.”
Veteran actress Gohar Kheirandish made an honorary mention of two young actresses Taraneh Alidoosti and Negar Javaherian “as the best of the young generation.”
Fireworks lit the open area of the forum and a cake picturing E’etesami were other programs of the event.
The festival is open till October 24 and will screen local and foreign movies.
Lady of Poetry
Parvin E’etesami (1907 – 1941) was a 20th-century Persian poet. The first edition of her Diwan (book of poetry) compromised 156 poems and appeared in 1935. The second edition, edited by her brother, appeared shortly after her death in 1941. It comprised 209 different compositions in Mathnawi, Qasida, Ghazal, and Qeta (Persian poetic styles), and stanzaic forms. Parvin’s poetry follows the classical Persian tradition, its form and substance. Another form of poetry, the monazara (debate), claims the largest portions of Parvin’s Diwan. She composed approximately 65 poems in the style of monazara and 75 anecdotes, fables, and allegories.
Parvin wrote about men and women of different social backgrounds, a wide-ranging array of animals, birds, flowers, trees, cosmic and natural elements, objects of daily life, abstract concepts, all personified and symbolizing her wealth of ideas. Through these figures she holds up a mirror to others showing them the abuses of society and their failure in moral commitment. Likewise, in the debates she eloquently expresses her basic thoughts about life and death, social justice, ethics, education, and the supreme importance of knowledge.
