Beyond the Clouds;Close to the Festival

“Beyond the Clouds”, directed by Majid Majidi will open the 36th FIFF. The opening film has had proponents and opponents that each of them had their reasons, e.g. some believes that while Reza Mirkarimi, the festival director and Majidi are old friend, the film has been chosen for opening, some other also think that Majidi himself is an authentic director that the festival be open with his work.

However, it seems that we should see the issue without considering the personal things and study it under the light of “Death of Author”! In fact, if we consider “global” theme of the festival beside the production of “Beyond the Clouds” which is the first experience of Majidi in abroad filmmaking, also his international credit as an Iranian filmmaker, it seems that the selection is genuine and logical.

On the other hand, Iranian audience especially film critics and representatives of press couldn’t watch the film during the Fajir National Festival, in fact, it wasn’t ready to screen even some rumors came to be screened at the last day of the festival for press but it’s never happened.

Therefore, there is a kind of curiosity and high motivation among national audience of FIFF for watching “Beyond the Clouds” who are the majority audience of the festival, so, it’s been welcomed warmly .

“Beyond the Clouds” is following my cinematic beliefs that have roots in human values, love, friendship, and family relations. “Like “Children of Heaven”, this is the story of a brother and sister who were grown up in a crowd city of Mumbai and they have challenging life.” Majidi says about his last movie. The specialties of the film is based on common humanistic values, also binational production that make the international side of it more colorful, so, its much closer to the geographical identity and theme of the Fajr International Film Festival to be the main option as the opening film.