Life and a Day Iranian Film Festival - Film Review

Life and a Day Iranian Film Festival - Film Review

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Posted 2016-11-05 by Georgina Tselekidisfollow

Thu 03 Nov 2016 - Sun 06 Nov 2016

Life and a Day (Iranian Film Festival) - Film Review

This week saw the 6th annual Iranian Film Festival showcase a selection of award winning contemporary Iranian films at Mercury Cinema, Adelaide. Abad va yek rooz, also known as Life and a Day opened the festival on Friday, premiering for the first time in Australia. A powerful and riveting piece, Life and a Day captures Iran's current reality, whilst conveying messages about love, loss and the importance of family and values.



Life and a Day tells the story of a young Iranian woman named Somayeh (Parinaz Izadyar) who has found herself at a crossroads in life. She is destined to be married soon to a successful Afghan man, arranged by her brother Morteza (Peyman Moaadi), a recovered drug addict. Coming from a large family of 8, Somayeh is torn between the yearning to break free from the difficulties of her troubled home life and wanting to stay to keep the family together. Her brother Mohsen (Navid Mohammadzadeh) is a major part of her worry, as she fears he will soon be imprisoned for drug using and dealing. As she strives to help others but herself, Somayeh's loyalty to her family is something to admire.



Life and a Day is the directorial debut for young screenwriter and director, Saeed Roostaei, whose film surpasses expectations with a striking cast that manage to arrest the viewer's attention from beginning to end. Somayeh's constant attempt to mend her broken family is heartbreaking, as the viewer is taken along the journey through realistic cinematic techniques, hand held camera being one of them. The scenes are also lengthy and include details that wouldn't seem as important in a blockbuster hit. However, Life and a Day allows the details to set the bigger picture and to bring us into the characters' current situation, despite the intensity. The film is particularly dramatic, but it's the comedic hints that give it such a heartfelt quality. Although the family seems broken, they are strong and united. A moment worthy of a mention is the scene where the two brothers argue about whether Morteza has made a deal with the Afghan suitor for financial gain. This interaction and chemistry between the two male actors, Moaadi and Mohammadzadeh, is gripping, as the dialogue only heightens to reach an almost uncomfortable peak.




Heartfelt scenes like the family dancing to Iranian music really pull at the heartstrings, as it reminds us of the importance of family, culture and tradition. Although it would have been lovely to see more of these scenes incorporated, the film's complexity and realistic stance may not exist. Director Saeed Roostaei attempts to take off the viewer's 'rose coloured glasses' to reveal the confronting account of a poverty-stricken family, something that westerners may not understand until watching the film. The confronting sequences that do comprise heightened emotion undoubtedly hit the audience, particularly those who are less familiar with the culture.



Overall, Life and a Day is a bold interpretation of Iranian life and personal crisis, combining creative cinematic techniques, remarkable actors and a stirring emotive context that just lacks in the everyday western world of cinema. From what Roostaei reveals in his directorial debut, his future films are looking incredibly promising. Life and a Day has been awarded the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema Award (NETPAC) for the Iranian Film Festival 2016. You can view more about the festival here .

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!date 03/11/2016 -- 06/11/2016
%wnadelaide
161476 - 2023-06-14 19:20:46

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