Water and Atefeh
Ab Va Atefeh
IRAN / 2001 / Persian / Color / Video / 42 min
Director, Script: Nahid Rezaii
Photography: Homayoun Payvar
Editing: Safi Yazdanian
Sound: Pouya Payvar
Production: Iranian Young Cinema Society
Source, World Sales: Iranimage
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A portrait of a strong-willed and unconventional woman who has returned from abroad to live in an arid region of Iran. While the entire nation suffers from draught, Atefeh makes every effort to irrigate her farmland. Pushing and pulling, sweet-talking and negotiating tough, she works with government engineers and workers to lead natural ground water to her fields. Her hard-working energy and independent presence can only hint at how difficult it is to live a solitary life of a widowed woman, while her care and taste in home decoration and clothing are delightfully original and charmingly feminine. A motivating film.
[Director’s Statement] To make this documentary was easy as well as difficult. Atefeh, with her solid character and interesting life could be a nice subject for a film, but her sensitivity and her resistance towards the camera made it difficult. It took time to make Atefeh comfortable with the camera and to make her forget that it was there. We lost some interesting scenes because the presence of the camera could disrupt her privacy or turn her into an amateurist actor.
Since I first met Atefeh, I have wanted to make this documentary. However, the producers were not ready to wait more than one year for a film. I would like to thank the Iranian Young Cinema Society and Mr. Afarideh who gave me the possibility to make this film. I also would like to thank my colleagues who had an important role in making this film. My photographer who sometimes was in intolerable situations. As well I would like to thank my editor who had the patience to help me make this film.
Nahid Rezaii
Born in 1963 in Tehran. Graduated in Film Studies, and currently works as a documentary filmmaker. Other works include Mother and Manijeh (1992), The Little Hands of Robabeh (1995), Poterie, Fin-Wood Work (both 1997), Leyla and Remain My Child (both 1999). |