The Belt and Road Film Tour: Chinese Films Showcased at Iran's Fajr International Film Festival

During the Lunar New Year, with the guidance and support of China Film Administration, the Shanghai International Film Festival's Belt and Road Film Tour set off again. This is another splendid appearance of Chinese films and filmmakers on the international stage after the Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh. Four films, ABSENCE, KARMA, MOON MAN, and THE CORD OF LIFE, were shown in Tehran during the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival. Director Wu Lang and lead actress Li Meng of ABSENCE, as well as producer Cao Xi of KARMA, were invited for interaction and communication with local audiences.

Global appearance of outstanding Chinese films by young directors

On the afternoon of February 6 local time, the Chinese film ABSENCE was premiered in Iran's Cinema Museum. The director of the film, Wu Lang, was present at the film workshop organized by the film festival and shared his experience of creating his first feature film ABSENCE over a period of seven years with local filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

The on-site audience responded enthusiastically and discussed the details of the film with the director. Speaking of his understanding of Iranian films, Wu Lang frankly stated that he was "full of awe" for Iranian films. He described his passion for the works of Iranian director and poet Abbas, especially BREAD AND ALLEY, CLOSE-UP, and WHERE IS THE FRIEND'S HOME. Wu Lang also believes that as a world language, film allows different creators to engage with each other, and he hopes to have the opportunity to cooperate with Iranian filmmakers.

The film ABSENCE is produced by Turan Inc, and is the debut feature film of post-90s young director Wu Lang. It stars Li Kangsheng, Li Meng, and Ren Ke. The film tells the story of the protagonist Han Jiangyu returning to his hometown ten years later, attempting to rekindle his relationship with his former lover Su Hong. A housing purchase plan forced the two to face their respective difficulties. In an almost irresistible ending, they managed to continue their life with strong vitality.

In 2019, the film project ABSENCE, still in the script stage, made its first appearance at SIFF PROJECT and won the "Special Recommendation" by the jury. In 2023, ABSENCE was selected for the "Encounters" section of the Berlin International Film Festival and held its world premiere. Since then, ABSENCE has won numerous awards at film festivals and returned to SIFF in June of that year for screenings, becoming the opening film of the Belt and Road Film Week unit at the 25th SIFF. Its director, Wu Lang, was honored as the "Filmmaker in Media Focus" at the Film Week.

On February 8, the film KARMA held a screening. Producer Cao Xi was interviewed by Iranian media after the screening, during which he shared the process of making the film and the experience of participating in the film festival.

KARMA is also the debut feature film of Zheng Peike, a young director born in the 1990s. The film starts with the unique profession of sailors and tells the heartwarming story of two men who have lost their loved ones and become a "misplaced duo of father and son" after a shipwreck. And along the route, they finally go from confrontation to reconciliation.

In 2020, KARMA made its appearance in the WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP) section of SIFF PROJECT at the 23rd SIFF. Prior to its debut in Iran, KARMA was recommended by the SIFF through the Belt and Road Film Tour to make its appearance at the 44th Moscow International Film Festival in 2022, where it had its first screening in Russia.

A cultural bridge built by the Belt and Road Initiative

The Fajr International Film Festival 2024 of Iran has invited several Chinese films to be screened from February 1 to February 11, among which THE COLDEST CITY, directed by Yang Feng, has been selected for the main competition unit of the Fajr International Film Festival. ABSENCE has been selected for the "Festival of Festivals" screening unit, and KARMA, MOON MAN and THE CORD OF LIFE have been selected for the Belt and Road screening unit.

The Belt and Road screening unit is a brand new screening unit of this year's Fajr International Film Festival, which officially became a member of the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance initiated by SIFF in 2019. Since then, the two sides have maintained close communication and have recommended outstanding films from both countries to participate in each other's film festivals. This time, the Fajr International Film Festival made an active response to the Belt and Road Initiative, and specially set up the Belt and Road screening unit to showcase wonderful films from different cultural backgrounds through the screen, so as to promote cultural exchange and understanding among countries along the route. To organize this unit well, the Fajr International Film Festival invited SIFF to recommend international films selected for the Belt and Road Film Week in recent years, to showcase diverse and high-quality film creations, thus highlighting the value of films as cultural bridges and promoting people-to-people understanding.

Chinese filmmakers as international jury members

Director Wu Lang as a jury member in the main competition unit of the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival

In reliance upon the continuous deepening of China-Iran film cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Fajr International Film Festival of Iran invited director Wu Lang to serve as a jury member for the main competition unit of this year's festival through SIFF. During the festival, director Wu Lang will watch and select 11 competition unit films with other international jury members, and discuss the winners of various awards. The final selection results will be announced on February 11.

Jury member Wu Lang in an interview by Iranian media

Group photo of international jury members and the organizers of the Fajr International Film Festival

Chinese film booth spotlighted in the Iranian market

The 25th Iranian International Film Market (IFM), held concurrently with the Fajr International Film Festival, kicked off on February 7, and has attracted film industry professionals from 22 countries.

The Chinese film booth has drawn much attention, and many Iranian and international film industry guests grabbed the chance to approach and communicate with representatives of SIFF and Chinese filmmakers, exploring the potential for cooperation in production, distribution, and marketing. Many guests expressed their curiosity and expectations for the future development of Chinese films, looking forward to more opportunities for collaboration in the future.

Deepened communication and cooperation through the platform of the alliance

As the initiator of the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, a team from SIFF met with representatives from the alliance members, including Raed Faridzadeh (left in the picture), head of International Affairs of the Fajr International Film Festival, and Ahmed Muztaba Zamal (center in the picture), director of the Dhaka International Film Festival.

Rahid Faradized stated that the establishment of the Belt and Road screening unit at this year's Fajr International Film Festival is not only an important step in the innovative development of the film festival, but also a milestone achievement in the cooperation between the two sides. He hopes that this will serve as an opportunity to further deepen the film exchange in the Belt and Road Initiative framework in the future and explore diversified China-Iran film cooperation projects. Mr. Zamal, director of the Dhaka International Film Festival, once again extended his gratitude towards the team of SIFF for their assistance in preparing for the "Wide Angle" unit of the Dhaka International Film Festival with China as the guest country, and expected to take further the cooperation.

Mr. Zamal introduced Ms. Amene Mirmotahari (second from the left in the picture), a professor of documentary film at the University of Tehran, to the SIFF team. Ms. Mirmotahari shared the history and traditions of film education in Iran, the curriculum, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced. Through this sharing, she expressed the desire to enhance the exchange and cooperation between China and Iran in the field of film education, and to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries' film education and industry with film as a medium.

The Belt and Road Film Tour extended to Iran this time, and through various forms of communication such as film screenings, cooperative screening units, recommended filmmakers as jury members, interactive workshops, and further participation in the film market, it provided Iranian film audiences and industry professionals with a more comprehensive and timely understanding of Chinese films, and laid a solid foundation for future film cooperation between China and Iran. It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the future film exchange between China and Iran will be more frequent and the cooperation will be deepened.

In recent years, relying on the unique platform of the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, SIFF's Belt and Road Film Tour has continuously supported Chinese films and Chinese filmmakers to "go global", forming a linkage mechanism for year-round screenings and global exhibitions. It invites outstanding domestic films and related filmmakers to participate in film festivals overseas, thus enhancing cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign films, and better showcasing China to the world through a faithful, three-dimensional, and comprehensive perspective. The Belt and Road Film Tour provides an effective way for countries to understand Chinese filmmakers and the Chinese film industry, and offers support for promoting Chinese films to "go global".

The Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, initiated by the Organizing Committee of SIFF, was established in 2018 and currently has 55 member institutions from 48 countries. Against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Alliance aims to enhance the curatorial capabilities of film festivals, promote mutual understanding among filmmakers, facilitate film cooperation projects, strengthen cultural exchanges in the film industry, establish a mechanism for instant information sharing, and explore future development models for film festivals. Civilization thrives through communication and mutual learning. Since its establishment, the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance has collaborated with the Publicity Department of the CPC Pudong New Area District Committee (District Culture, Sports, and Tourism Administration) and the Management Committee of Shanghai International Resort to organize the Belt and Road Film Week, and establish a mechanism for the Belt and Road Film Tour, so as to effectively promote two-way exchanges and mutual learning between filmmakers and film cultures along the Belt and Road route, further enhancing cultural exchanges and people-to-people understanding among countries along the route as well.