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Poetry in Motion: Contemporary Iranian Cinema


A film season reflecting on how the tradition of storytelling, so deeply rooted in Persian culture, manifests itself in cinema.

Poetry is an anchor of everyday life in Iran. The morality tales of Sufi poets such as Hafez and Sa’adi find their ways into Iranian lives – from the playground to the marital home, and buskers sell lines of poetry on the streets of Tehran.


This film season showcases emerging voices in contemporary Iranian cinema through the prism of Persian poetry, rather than through its modern-day politics and often stereotyped representation. Reflecting Iranian culture’s rich, diverse traditions and love of storytelling, we present the work of bold contemporary filmmakers whose inventive stories will charm, surprise and enchant – a mix of everyday, universal themes, and the retelling of traditional narratives in new voices.

Commissioned by the Bagri Foundation, award winning film producer/curator Elhum Shakerifar and film curator Faye Harvey have curated the programme in partnership with the Barbican.

Start Date. 03-04-2019
End Date. 24-04-2019

Location.
Barbican Cinemas Screen 2 & 3, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Film Programme:

Wednesday 3 April, 18:10: A Dragon Arrives! + Q&A with Director
Director Mani Haghighi 2016, 107 mins

Sunday 7 April, 16:15: Atomic Heart + Q&A Dr Orkideh Behrouzan,
Director Ali Ahmadzadeh 2014, 93 mins

Tuesday 9 April, 18:30: Braving The Waves + Q&A with Director
Director Mina Keshavarz 2016, 90 mins

Saturday 13 April, 18:00: Tehran: City of Love + Q&A with Director
Director Ali Jaberansari, 2018, 102 mins

Sunday 14 April, 16:00: Hendi & Hormoz + Q&A with British-Iranian Painter Hana Louise Shahnawaz
Director Abbas Amini, 2018, 88 mins, UK Premiere

Wednesday 17 April, 18:30: Janbal + Q&A with Directors 
Directors Mina Bozorgmehr and Hadi Kamali Moghadam, 2017, 72 mins
UK Premiere

Wednesday 24 April, 18:15: Ava + intro 
Director Sadaf Foroughi, 2017, 103 mins