SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015
Actors performing on the set of the film ‘Muhammad’, the first part of a trilogy on the life of
the prophet.
Actresses performing on the set of the film ‘Muhammad’, the first part of a trilogy on the life
of the prophet.
Iran premieres big-budget epic film ‘Muhammad’
I
ran’s most expensive movie, “Muhammad”, which chronicles
the childhood of the Muslim prophet, opened nationwide on
Thursday, winning praise from early audiences. Directed by
Majid Majidi, the 171-minute, visually stunning film cost around
$40 million (36 million euros), partly funded by the state and took
more than seven years to complete. Majidi says the aim of his
work, the first part of a trilogy, is to reclaim the rightful image of
Islam, which he said extremists have distorted. “Unfortunately at
this time the impression of Islam is of a radical, fanatical and violent religion, which is not what it’s about,” he said in Montreal,
where “Muhammad” had its international premiere, hours after
screening back home.
“The barbaric acts of terrorism conducted by terrorist groups
under the guise of Islam are not related to Islam,” he said, alluding
to beheadings and destruction of cultural treasures by Islamic
State militants in Syria and Iraq. “Islam is a religion of peace,
friendship and love and I tried to show this in the film.”
Ambitious goals
“Muhammad”, which captures Saudi Arabia more than 1,400
years ago, offers much more than stereotypical trains of Arabs on
camels riding across yellow sand dunes. It takes cinemagoers
from the birth of the future prophet up to his teenage years, and
is packed with miracles. The crew of “Muhammad” is indicative of
the film’s ambition. It includes three-time Oscar-winning Italian
cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, while the score was devised by
India’s Allah Rakha Rahman, a double Academy Award winner for
the Danny Boyle-directed blockbuster “Slumdog Millionaire”.
In one scene, an army of tribesmen mounted on elephants
charges the holy city of Makkah to heart-pounding music, only to
be destroyed by a flock of crows hurling stones. In another,
intensely emotional scene, the boy heals his nanny with a touch
of his hand. “It was very moving for us,” said Mahsa Rasoulzadeh,
40, accompanied by her mother and teenage daughter at
Kourosh Cinema in west Tehran.
Strong demand in Tehran
The theatre was around two-thirds full at an 11:00 am showing
on Thursday, the first day of the Iranian weekend, but afternoon
sessions were sold out in advance and two more had to be added
for after midnight to meet demand. Abolfazl Fatehi, 21, who came
to watch the film in a family group of seven, said he loved it. “I
think this film can be a starting point of research for those who
don’t know Islam,” he said. Mehdi Azar, a 25-year-old worker at
the cinema, said that while the film’s length might put some
movie-goers off, “it’s attractive enough to draw an audience. It
was very attractive visually”.
Outside the Imperial Cinema in Montreal, around 50 protesters
chanted against Iran, accusing Majidi of betrayal and calling the
event Iranian propaganda. The film is the second major production on the prophet. The first, “Muhammad, Messenger of God”,
was made in 1976 by Syrian-American filmmaker Moustapha
Akkad. It was a huge success with Shiite Iranians. Forty years on,
with its cost around 20 times higher than any other Iran-produced film, Majidi’s effort has raised high expectations. Despite
broad early enthusiasm some felt the movie had not lived up to
the hype.
Director Majid Majidi (second left) stands with the crew of the Iranian movie ‘Muhammad’ on August 27, 2015, during a press
conference for the world premiere of the movie during the Festival des Films du Monde. — AFP photos
“I had heard so much about it... but, to be honest, my expectations were much higher than what I saw,” said Komeil Arjmandi,
23, who is studying film direction. “I wanted the film to rise higher
than Mr Akkad’s movie.” Yet, officials don’t want the film to be
compared with others. In order to “preserve the dignity” of the
prophet, “Muhammad” was excluded from competition in Iran’s
major Fajr festival in February and was instead showcased in a
separate showing.
While Iran has denounced cartoons of the prophet like those
published by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Shiites are
generally more relaxed than Sunnis about depiction of religious
figures. Many showings of “Muhammad” in Shiite-majority Iran
have already sold out, but the film has triggered controversy in
the Sunni world. No announcement has yet been made on when
the two other parts of the “Muhammad” trilogy, covering the rest
of his life, will be produced. — AFP
Iranian director Majid Majidi holds a press conference in
Montreal.
Iranian film director Majid Majidi working on the set of his
film ‘Muhammad’.
Iranian actress, Sareh Bayat working on the set of the film
‘Muhammad’.