MORSE
Morse
(Mors)
Written & Directed by: Ronak Jafari
Producers: Mohammad Yousefi, Amir Hossein Enayati
Executive Producer: Akbar Mohammadi
DoP: Masoud Salami
Editor: Pouyan Sholevar
Music: Payam Azadi
Production Designer: Reyhaneh Esmaeilian
Costume Designer: Mina Salimi
Sound Designer: Alireza Alavian
Sound Engineer: Amir Shahverdi
Makeup: Abbas Abbasi
Visual Effects: Arash Aghabeik
Cast: Hadi Hejazifar (Bahram), Saman Saffari (Fariborz), Salman Farkhondeh (Ali), Sahra Asadollahi (Atefeh), Hooman Rahnamoon (Seyed Alishah).
Iran, 2022, Arii Mini Alexa, DCP, 2K, Color, 2.35:1, 5.1, 25 mins.
Language(s): Farsi.
Synopsis:
Three ex-political prisoners, all of them once sentenced to death, gather to summon the ghost of Khosrow, one of their old comrades. It’s said that Khosrow had committed suicide in prison, but now would they find a way to the truth in their reunion?
Director’s View:
In my childhood, I often listened to my father’s youth memories which led to the imprisonment for his political activities: memories of his morsels with his cellmates; and memories of people in prison who ratted out their friends and comrades either for their own interests, such as free pardon and a bright future, or even under torture and pressure.
Later, when I grew up to be a filmmaker and observed my community closely, I turned to my memories and realized that there are still so many people living with moral vices and differences… there are still so many pseudo-comrades who may leave you alone in times of trouble and sell you for a price…
MORSE is about these human behaviors. For me, MORSE is some kind of “The Last Supper” where Judas is tried; it is some kind of the play, “Hamlet”, underlining a reaction to the traitor, Claudius. MORSE is about my heroes who, regardless of their orientation and their ways of thinking, were imprisoned and executed for one common goal: freedom…
Director’s Profile:
Ronak Jafari was born in 1989 in Tehran into an artist family. Daughter of a documentary filmmaker father and an actress mother, Jafari spent her childhood behind the scenes of Iranian films. She also appeared in some of his father’s films. At 19, she made a one-minute film which entered local festivals and brought her awards and recognition. She made eight documentaries and two short films. Her first short film, DOUBLE, was selected in different film festivals such as Moscow (Russia), Kine Nova (Macadonia), Bilbao – Zinebi (Spain), Tehran (Iran), IRANCI – Iranian film festival in Prague ( Czech Republic), etc. MORSE is her second short film.
Festivals and Awards:
1- Jacksonville Film Festival (USA – February 2023).
2- Phoenix Film Festival (USA – March 2023).
3- Imedghassen Film Festival (Algeria – May 2023).
- Best Script Nomination.
4- FICIP – International Political Film Festival (Argentina – May 2023).
5- ImagineIndia International Film Festival (Spain – September 2023).
- Winner of the 2nd Prize in the Best Short Film category.
6- International Film Festival of Adoor (India – October 2023).
- Special Screenings.
7- Sussex International Film Festival (UK – November 2023).
- Semi-finalist.
8- Macau International Short Film Festival (Macao, China – December 2023).
- Short Fiction Film Competition.
- Best Music Award (Payam Azadi).
9- Iranian Film Festival in New York – IrFFNY (USA – January 2024).
10- Kalakari Film Fest (India – June 2024).
World Sales:
Sales: mohammad@irimageco.com
Festivals: kamyar@irimageco.com