Sadeq Hedayat’s ‘Dash Akol’ Animated

The Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) in Tehran has produced ‘Dash Akol,’ an animation based on a short story with the same name written by renowned Iranian writer Sadeq Hedayat (1903-1951).

It is directed by animation director Hajar Mehrani, who in an interview with public relations office of DEFC, said the narrative “is different from Hedayat’s original story.” 

Mehrani wrote the script in cooperation with musician, composer and kamancheh player Maryam Chaleshbayan, who has scored the music for the work.

“We have stuck to the main narrative form of the story which makes the animation familiar to the audience. But due to the significant use of symbols, viewers will see a new narrative.”

It was five or six years ago, when she was a university student that the idea of the animation came to Mehrani’s mind. “The idea sparked from a stop-motion puppet of Dash Akol,” the protagonist of the story.

“The animation is narrated on the basis of dialogue and music. For the dialogue, we used the Persian language in colloquial form, street talk, slang and even poetic form, depending on the character speaking.”

Music has a significant role in the work. “It conveys emotions and reflects the conflict existing between the raw machismo in the personality of Dash Akol and the delicate, romantic feelings and notions he is gradually being exposed to.”

Throughout the making of the animation, Mehrani has been mindful of special Iranian traits and characteristics each manifested in detail, from music and character design to the acts and dialogues.

The poster of the animation was unveiled on January 16 at the DEFC. The first public screening of Dash Akol is slated for the 10th Tehran International Animation Festival (TIAF) 2017 to be held from March 5-9, an event organized by the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults. 

Hajar Mohajerani has designed the characters of the animation. She has worked with animators Zahra Ayatollahi, Siamak Takallou, Hojjat Azampour and Laleh Ziaee.

The poster and logo are created by Morteza Laiji. Singers are Mehdi Emami and Samin Qorbani, and color artists are Leyla Yadegari, Neda Hashemian, Golrokh Alvan, Abbas Estahbanati and Elika Mehranpour.