Italy-Alsharqiya September 5: The Venice Film Festival, currently in its 80th session, witnessed a global precedent with the screening of the film “Tatami”, which is the result of unprecedented cooperation between two filmmakers hailing from two enemy countries, Iran and Israel.
The film, which was shown in the Parallel Horizons category, tells the story of an Iranian judoka named Laila and her coach, Maryam, who during the World Championships in Georgia refuse to comply with their government’s request to withdraw from the tournament in order to avoid facing an Israeli athlete.
Zar Amir (42 years old), whose real name is Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, co-director of the work in which she also plays the role of Maryam, told AFP: “I learned in school that Israel does not exist.”
She added: “Therefore, we are not allowed to work together, meet, befriend, or compete with this imaginary enemy.”
Zar Amir, born in Tehran, lives in exile in France, so she is “free to choose these topics” that she has the “responsibility” of telling, she says.
She continued: "The film will also have a political dimension, but that is not my problem."
Zar Amir won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 for her role as a feisty journalist in the thriller “Sacred Spiders,” about a serial killer of sex workers in the Iranian city of Mashhad.
She also said, "In Iran, filmmakers cannot actually tell the truth. They can treat (these topics) but it will always show half the truth."
Tehran has previously detained directors it accused of propaganda against the regime, such as Jaafar Panahi and Muhammad Rasoul Af.
Director Saeed Rostaei and the producer of his film “Laila’s Brothers” were sentenced to six months in prison for showing the film (banned in Iran) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 “without permission.” The latter denounced "a serious attack on the freedom of expression of Iranian artists, filmmakers, producers, and technicians."
Israeli filmmaker co-director of "Tatami", Guy Nattiv, director of "Skin" (2018) and "Golda" (2023), in which actress Helen Mirren plays Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, does not hesitate to compare Iran and Israel.
“What can be described as a revolution is happening in Israel and Iran,” he told AFP, sitting next to Zar Amir near the cinema palace on Lido Island. “In Israel, the revolution is against what Benjamin Netanyahu is doing to democracy.”
He added: "We are two countries that are somewhat similar and go through the same process in a way."
For her part, the Iranian actress said alongside him that she was "overwhelmed with hope and positivity" about the protest movement that began a year ago after the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini (22 years old), after she was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for not complying with the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.
She added: "I believe that women are working to change the situation and that it is not possible to go back. I was touched by their courage, especially the courage of the younger generations."
She continued: “It is an ongoing revolution... I love the idea that we can finally choose what we will wear and how we will behave.”
She also said: “Men are now supporting women, and this is new.”
The film "Tatami", which will be shown in 2024, was distributed in several European countries.
Director Guy Nattiv pointed out that the film sparked many responses in Israel because “people see this cooperation as truly revolutionary.” He continued: "I hope that this will pave the way for further cooperation between Israelis and Iranians in other fields, such as music."
