Responding to an invitation by the Tehran Peace Museum, Abbas Kiarostami, world-renowned filmmaker, visited the museum and saw the consequences of the use of chemical weapons on Iranians by Iraq during the 1980-88 war.
The war veterans, despite all their difficulties, work as guides at the museum. Taking Kiarostami around the museum they explained about the various weapons used in the 8-year war, and described their present situation, Cinemapress reported.
After listening to their war experiences and the plight of the war-wounded and that of their families, an emotionally moved Kiarostami, said: “Before coming here, I had no clue of what I would encounter, but from now on, I will be involved in the issues that I have understood here.” He also called the war veterans “living proof” of whatever is documented in the museum.
A number of war veterans who were wounded during the war, the mother of the martyr Mohammad Babaei, and museum officials accompanied Kiarostami during his 2-hour visit. Screening a couple of sacred defense movies was also included in the program.
Widely Admired
Active since 1970, Kiarostami has been involved in over 40 films including dramas, shorts, and documentaries. A director, screenwriter, editor, photographer, and producer, Kiarostami has won the admiration of audiences and critics worldwide and received about 100 awards.
He has won the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) award at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Taste of Cherry’ and the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Lion) at the Venice International Film Festival for ‘The Wind Will Carry Us’. He has also been a jury member at numerous film festivals, most notably the Cannes Film Festival in 1993, 2002, 2005, and 2014.
Tehran Peace Museum is a member of the International Network of Museums for Peace. Its main objective is to promote a culture of peace through raising awareness about the devastating consequences of war, with a focus on the health and environmental impacts of chemical weapons. It is located at the northern gate of the City Park (Park-e Shahr), Tehran.
