Director Ali Behrad brought his colourful snapshot of young people in contemporary Tehran to Karlovy Vary, where Tehran Another View had its European premiere. He was joined by actors Ayda Mahiani and Ali Shadman, who described the film as “a fresh image of a new generation” and Karlovy Vary as “the most beautiful city [he’s] ever seen.”
Following the screening at Čas Cinema, the filmmakers were asked a lot of questions about the realities of making films in Iran. “There are many things that aren’t allowed, but sometimes you do something and only later realize it’s prohibited. That was actually the case with our film,” the director explained, adding that they were not granted permission to screen the film in their home country.
When asked what tends to bother Iranian censors the most director Ali Behrad responded simply: “Smile.” He elaborated: “It’s a difficult question to answer. Like I said, with some things, you only realize they could become a problem once you’ve done them.” Another audience member asked about financing. Behrad pointed to his executive producer and said: “She fell in love with me and got the money. And since she’s still in love with me, she’ll definitely get money for my next film and the one after that.”
The filmmakers were surprised to learn that in Europe, unlike in Iran, it is not common to hand your bank card and PIN to a shop assistant when paying in a shop. “It’s normal in our country. Maybe it’s the same here that we don’t even know we’re not supposed to do some things,” Behrad smiled.
But the discussion also touched on heavier topics, such as the ongoing conflict in Iran. “We don’t even know if we’ll be able to return home, because the flights to Tehran have been cancelled,” Ali Shadman noted.
