Bahman Qobadi (Director)

Qobadi’s last film, Niveh-Mong (Half of the Moon) has not yet been screened in Iran, though its international screening was a year ago. The film has won three prizes from San Sebastian Film Festival and has been screened in European countries. In a conference on the effect of music and its relation with children at Carlos University of Madrid, Spain, Qobadi addressed the audience when Joze Saramago was among them. Qobadi’s previous film, Turtles also Fly was welcomed by critics in Iran and won main prizes of House of Cinema celebration. Differences between Qobadi and cinema authorities of Iran have caused him problems for obtaining the permit for his new film. While they refuse to issue his permit, he threatened that shooting the new film will soon begin in Tehran. By and by, both sides decided to cut that dispute off. Although Qobadi won a Camera d’Or from Cannes for his first film, A Time for the Drunken Horses, that success was not repeated by his next movies. Qobadi proved from the first that he would not follow suit with Kiarostami and in addition to being loyal to realism, his films are also full of dramatic attractions. Apart from that and unlike his international counterparts, he includes spectacular scenes and a lot of extras in his films. The latest news about him is that Qobadi is planning to make and urban film with comic undertones. The screenplay for his new film is to be written by Peiman Qasemkhani who is among the most famous screenwriters for comedies both in cinema and television and his films have greatly appealed to the audience.