Iran film rules are ‘extreme and tedious’: director at Cannes

France 24

May 26th 2022

Cannes (France) (AFP) – Saeed Roustaee is only 32 years old but already looks to be joining the ranks of world-class Iranian directors, despite severe restrictions imposed by the country’s Islamic authorities.

“Leila’s Brothers”, a rich and complex tale of a family struggling to fight their way out of poverty in Tehran, has earned Roustaee a slot in the competition for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

That does not guarantee him the respect of censors back in Iran, however, where it is still unclear if they will approve the film’s release

“In Iran, there are red lines — plenty of them,” Roustaee told AFP in Cannes.

“Getting a permit to shoot is a very extreme, tedious and long process. Then you need another permit to release the film theatrically and in this process, of course there is censorship.”

‘Everybody knows’

The film follows four unemployed brothers and their exasperated sister as they try to pull themselves out of poverty — their efforts undermined by their father’s desire to spend lavishly on a wedding to impress his wealthier relatives.

The damage caused by US sanctions under President Donald Trump serves as a backdrop to the story, which finds moments of family love and humour amid the hardship.

Leila is played by one of Iran’s most feted actresses, Taraneh Alidoosti, who said the character represented a familiar figure in the country.

“She is the pillar of the family, but an invisible one… someone sacrificing her all so her brothers can have a better life. In Iran, everyone knows that kind of woman in their family or neighbourhood,” she told AFP.

Alidoosti made headlines in 2017 when she boycotted the Academy Awards over Trump’s call to stop issuing visas to people from Muslim countries (she starred in “The Salesman” that ultimately won the Oscar for best foreign-language film that year).

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http://Taraneh Alidoosti stars in ‘Leila’s Brothers’ and says Iranian cinema ‘always held its style’ despite censorship CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP