The German-Iranian co-production ‘Paradise’ directed by Sina Ataeian-Dena, was premiered at the 68th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, August 7-9.
The film is about a teacher Hanieh who lives with her married sister in Tehran and commutes long hours each day to get to the school where she works. Hanieh tries with little success to be transferred to a school within the city. Exhausted with life’s realities, she struggles to find a way out of the situation, MNA reports.
Dena said the film is about the role of violence in human life. “All of us encounter violence to some extent in life - its shadow haunts every society and it seems like a natural part of human life”.
“As victims - overtly or covertly - we tend to generate and spawn it,” he added.
Producers Yousef Panahi and Amir Hamzeh said the film is a collaboration of up-coming Iranian artists. “We shot under difficult conditions without financial support,” they said. The cooperation with new-wave Iranian artists resulted in the film.
In its 67-year history, the festival has occupied a unique position in the landscape of major film festivals. Every August, for 11 days the Swiss town of Locarno becomes the world capital of auteur cinema.
The film competed for the Golden Leopard along with 18 other international rivals at the event.
Background
Dena, 32, studied physics before transitioning to films at Tehran’s Sooreh University. He started his career as a visual effects supervisor and a story developer for video games. In 2009, he directed his first animation short, ‘Especially Music’ that led him to direct several commercials and cartoons.
‘Paradise’ was shot without official permission from the government. “It is the first installment of a trilogy about violence.”
