Press Conference of “Zaher” held in 42nd FIFF

The press conference of the movie “Zaher” was the last meeting held on February 1st, the first day of the festival with the presence of the cast and crew.
Mohammad Reza Karimi Saremi, the producer of the movie, said that Iranian cinema requires to be supported and to have new perspectives.
The director of the movie, Hossein Ameri called on the audience to observe a moment of silence to commemorate people like Zaher, the hero of his film, those individuals who remained anonymous and sacrificed their lives for the sake of other people.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he said “We tried to produce a realistic cinematic work. We did put every effort to make the film sound more true-to-life. Though the cast are not well-known & professional, they were really good at their acting roles . The original script was tangible and plain and that was the reason I chose the actors with more realistic performances”.
He praised Majid Majidi, a veteran Iranian director, for his influential role in guiding the cast and crew members.
The story of the film “Zaher” takes place in the north of the country. The film follows a teenage boy named Zaher, who is only eighteen years old. He is serving his military service in the north of the country.
During his military service, he meets an elderly couple named Akbar and Ziba, a couple who have a house near the barracks.
It is a love story full of simplicity and honesty. A soldier’s love for a simple country girl and sweet and sour moments of the love.
Ameri, who is competing in the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) stated, “Sometimes when you try to make the movie in a plain and real style , an amateur film cast sounds more authentic while shooting”. ” I had long thought of the theme of the movie dealing with children but I was waiting for the right moment to make the work” he added.
Produced by Iran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, the movie is a part of the section New Perspective (first-time filmmakers) in the festival.