|
 |
Tehran,
the 25th Hour
Tehran: Sa'at-e Bist-o Panj
|
IRAN
/ 1999 / Persian / Color / Video / 20 min
Director, Photography, Script, Editing: Seifollah Samadian
Sound: Sasan Tavakolli
Production Company: Tassvir Monthly Magazine (Visual Arts)
Source for Japan & Asia: Shohreh Golparian / Small Talk
Inc.
34-18-306 Chigusadai, Aoba-ku
Yokohama Kanagawa 227-0051 JAPAN
Phone & Fax: 81-45-972-3394
 |
|
Seifollah
Samadian
Born in 1954, in Orumieh, Iran. Started photography in 1969 and documentary
filmmaking in 1978. Directed numerous documentaries on the past 20
years of the Iranian Revolution, including: The White Station,
The World Cup '98, On Iranian Film Industry, Abbas Kiarostami (Three
Views). |
All of Tehran goes wild after the national soccer team's victory in
the qualifying match for World Cup '98. Such an outburst of emotion
and unbridled joy is rarely to be seen in Iranian cinema presented
overseas, and proves how limited our knowledge about Iran is.
Director's
Statement
After the revolution in Iran in 1979, more than three million Iranians
left their country for social, political, and economical reasons,
and settled in countries such as the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and
Australia.
Before Iran's qualification in World Cup '98, no other event was able
to unite all these diverse groups of Iranians and those in Iran to
celebrate together a common victory. For 20 years due to the Iran-Iraq
War and political turmoil in Iran and its negative reflection in the
western media, Iranian cities were known for their sadness and gloom.
On Saturday, November 29th, Iran witnessed the performance of a movie
which I had wished to see for about 3000 years in the history of Iran.
It was a beautiful film whose screenplay was written and was directed
on Iran's Sweet Saturday by the people of my country. A few
minutes after the referee Mr. Puhl's whistle at the end of the Iran-Australia
game, on Saturday afternoon, the pleasant event began all over Iran
and ended very late the same evening.
If I don't give any explanation about the unique world of "the art
of soccer," I should say that soccer is the most repetitive screenplay
of human history which has as many directors, actors and spectators
as the number of times it has been repeated: as many "endings" as
directors, actors and spectators, as many "enigmas" as all its "endings."
Speaking of enigma, when I reach this part of my history and of my
epoch, I remember my trip to Cannes on its 50th anniversary. I'll
only mention the moment when Abbas Kiarostami won the Palme d'Or for
the Iranian people, especially for those living outside its borders,
whose shaky identity had been severely attacked during the post-revolution
years. And again, I don't know why I consider Kiarostami's Palme d'Or
as the first spark of the happy fire which Khodadad Azizi, on behalf
of the entire Iranian soccer team, lit suddenly and at the same level
in the hearts of every Iranian. A burning fire which at once burned
the inevitable idea of being rootless, in the hearts of those who
never, not even for a second, could believe having anything in common
with their roots inside Iranian borders again.
A kindness settled in which can only result from the historical unity
of a people. Soccer and cinema created this beautiful miracle.
Tehran, the 25th Hour is a complete short documentary film
of one eventful day, but it is also part of a longer series about
youth and soccer in Iran, which started three years ago as events
started in Iran and ended in France during World Cup '98.
|
  |
|
before  next |
COPYRIGHT:Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival Organizing Committee
|
