Friday, February 2, 2018

Iran Film Festival Opens Amid Charged Atmosphere


Radio Farda

uncaptioned image from article

Excerpt:
Since first launching in 1982, a few years after the new regime settled, the Fajr Film Festival has introduced -- among run-off-the-mill entertainment and unjustifiable political propaganda -- half a dozen quality films and directors that proved successful at big-name international film festivals such as Cannes and Berlin. ...

The international spotlight turned Iranian cinema into a public diplomacy tool. Several governments, including the Rouhani administration, used Iranian films as part of their charm offensive to win hearts and minds as well as political support in the West. Culture Minister Abbas Salehi emphasized the importance of Iranian films in “cultural diplomacy” in his official message to the organizers of the festival the day before the opening. ...

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