Iranian films ‘Starless Dreams’ directed by Mehrdad Oskouei and ‘Valderrama’ by Abbas Amini will have their world premiere in the Generation section of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
‘Starless Dreams’ is the third part of a documentary trilogy by Oskouei on teenage criminals at the Juvenile Detention Center. “It centers on the life of seven girls at the Tehran branch of the center and raises questions on the reason teenage girls end up there,” the director said.
Causes of juvenile crime are a matter of concern and the film tries to answer the questions. It looks inside a locked-up world and provides a respectful portrayal of young girls struggling to regain some sense of their personal dignity, Mehr News Agency reported.
The international distribution of the film is by the French company DreamLab Films.
‘Valderrama’ is about an Iranian boy in the southwestern city of Abadan whose conspicuous curly blond hair resembles the famous Colombian former football player Carlos Valderrama, so he is called by the same name.
In pursuit of his real identity, he sets for the capital Tehran where after confronting a lot of trouble, he is able to resolve his problem.
Since 1978, the Berlinale has devoted a section to children and young people: Generation. It is a competition where discoveries from state of the art world-cinema and on a par with young people are presented. The most outstanding films are awarded the Crystal Bears and the Prizes of the international Juries.
Generation integrates children and youth into the festival’s film-aesthetic discourse. At the same time the section is a place for encounters between people of all ages.
The 66th Berlinale will be held February 11-21.
