Through the Iranian eyes

SINGLE-SHOT FILM

He likes to challenge the set mode of thinking, break out of oft-repeated genres and take untrodden paths. His love for MC Escher’s perspective art can only be compared to his fascination for horror.

Iranian director Shahram Mokri’s films are a reflection of his varied approach to filmmaking, be it how he tells the story or how he captures the shot. A familiar name at festival circuits across the world, his latest film ‘Fish and Cat’ has been described as not less than a ‘tour de force’.  
While in Bengaluru recently, Mokri revealed how much he loves India (‘I feel like I am in my own country,’ he exclaims!), his fetish for horror and why the beaten path never excites him.

    His ‘Fish and Cat’ is about a group of students who discover that human flesh is served in a restaurant, which is close to their camp on the lakeside. “‘Fish and Cat’ is my second short film and through it, I was trying to find a new meaning of time. How do we talk about time in cinema? The film is made in one single shot and I wanted to give a change in perspective of time in one shot. I like to make films that the audience is not used to seeing. I am also deeply interested in horror films,” he adds.

The director and writer, who has also made ‘Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories’ and ‘Raw, Cooked, Burned’, has been winning accolades and awards. ‘Fish and Cat’ is his second feature film and it is a bravura attempt. “The film was taken in one shot, so we rehearsed the film for two months. The actors had theatrical backgrounds and that was helpful.”
     He goes on, “We shot in Northern Iran in winter. It was very cold and tough and we had many problems as the camera travelled through the mountain, jungle and river,” he adds.

“The film is based on a story that came out in a ‘yellow’ paper. The incident is said to have happened to a five-year-old-girl in the west of Iran. We don’t know whether it actually happened or not,” he smiles.

    Meanwhile, Shahram has been watching Indian films too. “Art movies are important. I have watched films made by Satyajit Ray, they are simply great. The audience in Iran also loves Bollywood movies as these are aired on TV. After coming here, I have also watched Kannada movies. I felt they are a lot like Bollywood films. I also saw a lot of problems in terms of camera technique, direction and the way the script is conceived,” he says while adding that some of the films were good.
Iran, he says, is as much influenced by Hollywood as  many other countries. “The youngsters love the horror genre — especially the zombie and slasher movies from America. They get together, get DVDs and watch slasher movies,” he laughs.  

The future looks bright and suspense-filled for this filmmaker.  “With two other friends from Iran, I am planning a movie next year. It is related to a murder but it’s not the usual police story. I also have a script that is inspired by a true story.’’ To be precise, there are more nail-biters up his sleeve.