An episodic film on Hormuz Island in the southern province of Hormuzgan is to be produced by six known directors.
‘Tales of Hormuz’ is suggested as the title of the film. It will be in six episodes covering the history, traditions, natural environment and beauty of the picturesque island, Mehr News Agency reported on its Persian website.
“Last year, when work began on the restoration of the island’s historical fabric, the idea of an episodic film by acclaimed Iranian filmmakers came to my mind. Now the project has become financially feasible,” said photographer Jamshid Bayrami, art director of the joint project.
“After a review of films by Iranian directors, six were selected to tell ‘Tales of Hormuz’ in six short films,” Bayrami added.
Hormuz is an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, located in the Strait of Hormuz, 8 kilometers off the coast. It has a population of 6,000. With a diameter of between 7km and 8km, the island is relatively small in size; however, it is an exciting destination for those interested in ecotourism.
It is one of the most colorful islands around the world. The color of soil on this small island varies from place to place and shines under the warm sun of Persian Gulf. In Hormuz, one can see crimson mountains alongside salty mountains and golden watercourses that flow into the sea.
The attractions of the island include the rainbow valley, Portuguese Castle, salt caves, turtle beach, valley of statues and its red beach.
Featured Filmmakers
Tales of Hormuz is funded by the Hormuzgan governor’s office. The six directors are Shahram Mokri, Saeed Roustaee, Aida Panahandeh, Mona Zandi Haqiqi, Masoud Bakhshi and Mohsen Amir-Yousefi.
Mokri is mainly known for his formalistic film ‘Fish & Cat’ that has won awards including the Venice Horizons Award and Special Prize at 2013 Venice Film Festival as well as the FIPRESCI Prize and Youth Jury Award at the 2014 Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland.
Young filmmaker Roustaee is a realist director. He is better known for his first feature film ‘Life+1 Day,’ a bitter social drama which won nine awards at the 34th Fajr Film Festival in 2016 and set a record for the number of awards won by one movie at the festival.
Panahandeh won the Promising Future Prize at the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section of the 68th Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature film ‘Nahid.’
A director and editor of short films, documentaries and feature films, Zandi focuses on contemporary social issues in her films.
Bakhshi was noticed for his personal shorts, made between 1999 and 2010. His works are varied and challenging.
After writing several screenplays for both screen and stage, Amir-Yousefi completed his first short film in 1997. His short film ‘Stony Hands’ and the documentary ‘Caravan’ are some of the best-known and influential short films in Iranian cinema and have received several national and international awards.
