Archive of films Life May Be / Life May Be

United Kingdom / Iran
2014, 80 min

Section: Another View
Year: 2014

Exile, identity, and physicality are the topics developed in an innovative movie from Mania Akbari and Mark Cousins, two filmmakers who have in common a lively intellect, refreshing spontaneity, and a love of motion pictures. The creators communicate with each other through "filmed letters” – a shared and comprehensive audiovisual confession of exceptional intensity.

Synopsis

Identity and physicality are among the subjects explored in this unusual film by Mania Akbari and Mark Cousins, two filmmakers who share a lively intellect, refreshing spontaneity, and a love of cinema. The two directors communicate via "filmed letters,” a complex audiovisual testimony of extraordinary intensity. "The film is an old-fashioned letter piece – like Les liaisons dangereuses or Pamela by Samuel Richardson, radically updated to the digital age and with modern themes – Iran, exiles, nudity, etc,” says Cousins. Mania Akbari adds: "It’s a ‘happening film’ resulting from an encounter between two individual approaches to form, story, rhythm, sound and movement.” Life May Be offers an experience of pure enjoyment when watching an inspirational encounter of intellect with intuition that is enriched by the straightforward honesty involved in the sharing of deeply intimate experiences and ideas. The film also makes room – between the lines and between the shots – for the excitement of waiting for an answer.

About the director

Mania Akbari (b. 1974, Tehran) is a renowned Iranian filmmaker, actress, and avant-garde artist whose work often deals with themes of identity, as in her feature film debut 20 Fingers (2004), which was named Best Film in the Venice IFF’s Digital Cinema section. She co-directed the documentary Crystal. In 2002, she appeared alongside her son and sister in Abbas Kiarostami’s Ten. She then directed the film’s sequel, 10+4. Her video art has been shown at the Tate Modern and at the Locarno IFF. Other films include 30 Minutes to 6 AM (2011) and One. Two. One (2011). Mark Cousins (b. 1965, Belfast) is a Northern Irish filmmaker, writer, curator, and traveler best known for his project The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011). The KVIFF has also screened his films The First Movie (2009), What Is This Film Called Love? (2012), and A Story of Children and Film (2013). He is the author of numerous film essays and books.

Contacts

The Festival Agency
Kwerk, 22 Bd Malesherbes, 750 08, Paris
France
Tel: +33 954 904 863
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.thefestivalagency.com

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About the film

Color, HD CAM
International premiere

Section:	Another View

Director:	Mark Cousins, Mania Akbari
Screenplay:	Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Dir. of Photography:	Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Editor:	Pariah Kamyab, Timo Langer
Producer:	Don Boyd
Production:	Hibrow Productions Ltd
Cast:	Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Contact:	The Festival Agency

Guests

Elodie Dupont

Distributor, Festival Organizer, Sales Agent, Service Company Rep.

Mark Cousins

Film Director

Mania Akbari

Film Director