Interview by
Benjamin Poole
Atabai
takes us into a world of tradition, hopes and expectation. Kazem (Hadi Hejazifar) returns from a business trip to discover that his brother-in-law has sold
his orchard to a stranger, Shirazi. Kazem finds himself falling in love with
Shirazi's daughter (Sahar Dolatshahi) but first must face his past.
With its intertwined use of Azari and Farsi languages, alongside the
fabulous landscapes of North West Iran, this film brings a fresh perspective
to Iranian cinema and seeks to build bridges between generations and
communities.
Hello Niki! Congratulations on the forthcoming release of
Atabai. As an incurable romantic and a person at the whim of their emotions (much
like Atabai’s central character Kazem) I found a lot to enjoy in
the film. I consider love as a poison, in some ways. Once it is in your
heart it can cause such pain, unless you are fortunate enough to find
the antidote of reciprocated feelings. A bit like Kazem, perhaps,
sometimes I wish I had never fallen in love, but it’s too late now - it
is in my system. How would you define the presentation of love in
Atabai?
I do agree that love is considered as a complex matter most of the time.
It makes us feel real emotion and true to ourselves. Love is one of the
elements that I depicted in Atabai; desperation, sorrow, pain and lack of self-confidence are, for
instance, some of the human issues that I undertake in this film.
Meanwhile, it is the slogan of the film that "Love Will Save Us". Kazem
was a student at university but he declined this love and this moment so
that he could find his beloved. Time passes and he lets himself fall in
love but it fails again. There are a myriad of psychological reasons why
he loses his first love and the second one at the end. He is so selfish
and avaricious, he decides not to communicate with the beloved from his
society and class. However, he discovers forgiveness and becomes a better
man when he falls in love for the second time, and this is the
presentation of Love in this film. The audience will accompany him and
understand him once he falls in love.
Atabai is an intensely talkative film, with scenes built upon
shared intimacy and honest exchanges between characters. It seems to
me that communication, sincere and candid, is a major aspect of the
film. I read that the characters speak in a blend of different
languages, which would contribute neatly to this theme. I wonder if
you wouldn’t mind talking a little about this feature of
Atabai, please?
This film is only in two languages. Turkish is the main language of the
film and also the language of the people of that area. Farsi is the second
language which is used between the people who have migrated there from
Tehran. Yes, the film is full of dialogue in some moments, although there
are signs and symbols to convey the concepts. However the characters need
to talk about themselves in order to make something clear like the
memories from past times, the confessions and the moments when people are
drawn to each other which is why the movie tries to get close to the
audience and let them get familiar with the characters.
Along with the character drama, Atabai has a striking visual
dynamic. It is beautiful to look at. In what ways does the backdrop of
Northern Iran contribute to the meaning of Atabai?
This film is about human solitude in a region or environment, I think
solitude and love are beautiful and dramatic, I believe that the picture
should lead the audience to a dream or imagination which is about a
situation that unsettles a man with his anxiety, pain and love; it must be
depicted beautifully. The beauty of the region lets us reach out to these
issues although, of course, it is possible to consider it differently. It
is set in the north west of Iran and we intentionally chose this area.
I found the references to the culture of the village fascinating-
there is a skipping game where the men play with a whip, and the
sequence where two characters burn a tyre is also intriguing. Could
you elaborate upon these aspects of Atabai please? I find them
fascinating!
I didn’t want to make it completely local. However, I think it looks
amazing to me and fascinating to the audience who will witness the local
culture of that area including the game that the locals play where they
have to jump over the crack of the whip. Or I can talk about the layers of
the fire which we see when Atabai (Kazem) meets his friends and they
revisit the past by looking back on their memories as they begin to act
like children. It's a pastime that children may do in that village or
other countries around the world with the fire being, at the same time, a
symbol or sign that reminds us of the suicide of Atabai’s sister.
If you could programme Atabai in a triple bill with two other
movies, what films would they be and where would Atabai fall in
the line-up?
This question is a bit complicated and it's what l am eager to hear from
you and the critics to see what you think about this film. Meanwhile, l
like the movies by Theo Angelopoulos, Bergman or the filmmakers who have
similar ideology and style of filmmaking. I am so eager to know your
comments and feedback.
Atabai is in UK cinemas now.