A young filmmaker in the midst of a creative crisis, a remote village and a river that is more than it seems at first glance. Farzin Mohammadi’s Black and White River had its world premiere within the festival section Another Birth: Iranian Cinema Here and Now. Before the screening, the filmmaker thanked the festival and confided in the audience: “For the past twelve years I have worked hard and obsessively so that one day I could call myself an artist. I hope that you will think of me as such after seeing my film.”
Long, gradually developing shots of objects, people and animals are characteristic of the director’s second feature film. The plot recedes into the background and takes place in the birthplace of the director’s father. “This film is not just about characters. You should pay attention to each shot and look for its meaning,” Mohammadi advised the audience in the Congress Hall.
