19, THE LOCUST and ASTEROID in UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema
In the upcoming edition of UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema (April 29th to May 8th, 2022 / USA), the three following IRIMAGE titles will be screened in Billy Wilder Theatre at Hammer Museum:
Manijeh Hekmat’s COVID-driven cinematic experiment, 19, which takes a trip into the memories of failed love, family bonds and Iranian Modern History. Main competition entry at Kolkata IFF 2022 and World Cinema entry at Kerala IFF 2022, the film has adapted its language from living in the COVID times when some of the characters have filmed themselves with their mobile phones during the lockdown in Iran.
Global section entry at SXSW 2022, Faeze Azizkhani’s THE LOCUST, which is a witty, intelligent approach to being a woman and being a writer in both personal and professional life. In her second venture, Azizkhani travels into a strangeland when confronting with director, cast, crew, family members, dad’s ghost and roosters to show how everyone is entitled to judge and criticize a woman choosing a path to her dreams…
Mehdi Hoseinivand’s debut feature film, ASTEROID, which won the Best Film Award in the Eastern Vista section at Fajr IFF 2021, entered the main competition at Busan IFF and find its path to the selection of different film festivals such as Glasgow, Bastau, Ajyal, Olympia, Fribourg, etc. With some echoes from Exupery’s THE LITTLE PRINCE, ASTEROID indicates that there are big differences between the little princes and children laborers however they all share some dreams for a better world.