“Lizard” director to helm “Peaceful Streets” in Armenia

TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) -- The Iranian director of the box-office hit “Lizard” Kamal Tabrizi plans to make “Peaceful Streets”, a social drama, in Armenia.

The film’s technical crew is currently in the country, but the casting has not yet been completed.

Actress Hedyeh Tehrani was not permitted to leave Iran by airport officials in Tehran to join the cast in Armenia due to ‘tax problems’ on Sunday.

Consequently, Tehrani was replaced by Niki Karimi, who is scheduled to join the cast by Thursday.

The deceptive title of “Peaceful Streets” brought the shooting of the film to a halt in early October. It was rumored that the film involved political issues, particularly the post-election unrest in Iran.

However, Tabrizi resumed shooting after producer Mahmud Razavi and Iranian culture officials held talks.

“‘Peaceful Streets’ is not a political film, this is a mere social film focusing on normal and abnormal behaviors as seen in the society,” Razavi said in an interview.

According to Razavi, the screenplay of film was revised several times before it could obtain a production license from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

He also said that they have been forced to change the film’s location to a foreign country to gain the approval of the Culture Ministry.

Tabrizi is the director of “The Lizard”, a controversial comedy about a thief who escapes from prison clad in a cleric’s robe.

The film, which had been warmly received by people, provoked storms of protest from Iranian officials and Muslim clerics.

Subsequently, it was banned shortly after its premiere in 2003.