Learning More About Cultures Through Foreign Films - Iranian Envoy

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Foreign films are undeniably important as more about a nation’s culture could be learnt, said Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Ali Asghar Mohammadi. Mohammadi in his speech during a private screening of the multi-award-winning Iranian film “The Sun Children” recently, said the film industry has evolved tremendously over the past decades, and thanks to the vast streaming networks, nothing more than a good film could acculturate and enculturate a nation. “These films offer us so much to learn about a nation’s history, traditions, and people. We hope that these efforts open up more doors for broader cultural initiatives and partnership between both countries, especially in the film industry.” he said. His speech and details of the movie was made available to Bernama in a statement here Thursday. “The Sun Children” which tells a story about a 12-year-old boy and his gang of street children hired by a dangerous criminal to dig up a treasure buried below their school, depicts an important and sobering message about the child labour issues faced globally. Directed and co-written by renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, the film was released early last year and quickly made its way to prominent international film festivals including Venice International Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, Munich Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Fünf Seen Film Festival and the 15th Asian Film Awards in Busan. What makes the film even more worthwhile is that the director chose his actors from street children after nearly 4,000 auditions, added the statement. Meanwhile, in a video message to the guests prior to the screening, Majidi, expressed his excitement for the inaugural screening of the film in Malaysia. Majidi pointed out his intention to select his cast from street children was to prove that all children were talented and if they were given the right attention, they could become a national asset to their country. The private screening, which was in collaboration with the TGV Cinemas and Suraya Filem, was part of the Iranian embassy’s year-long cultural exchange initiative to strengthen the cultural ties between Iran and Malaysia through arts, music, film and food diplomacy. Malaysia and Iran are both melting pots of culture and enjoy diverse cultural attractiveness. In 2018, both countries collaborated on a television film titled “Janji Zehan'' featuring renowned Malaysian actress Nur Fazura. The drama was entirely filmed in Iran and included 43 locations across the country including the city of Shiraz, Persepolis and Yazd. -- BERNAMA