SYNOPSIS:

Contrary to the Westerners who want to prolong their life, for the Orientals and specially the Muslims, death is the beginning of a new life which they embrace.
At least once a week, the people of Tehran go the biggest cemetery in their town (Behesht Zahra) to find a "brief peace" with their dead.
This documentary, by presenting the culture of death in Iran, depicts how much death and life, laugh and cry; and sadness and happiness can be close. The cemetery is a rendezvous, a picnic place, a play ground and a training place for the soldiers...

BIOGRAPHY:

Born in Kermanshah in 1951, Ata Hayati is a graduate of cinematography from the College of Television and Cinema. He also holds an MA from Art University. As a photographer, Ata Hayati collaborated with television for many years. He has been the photographer and director of photography of many successful Iranian films, and directed two features.

FILMOGRAPHY

Documentary:

SHEHERAZAD AND THE OTHERS 2000
IRAN: DREAM OF FREEDOM 2001
A BRIEF PEACE 2004

Short Film:

JOURNEY THROUGH TALESH 1976
ASHURA 1975
NEOR LAKE 1978

Feature:

CHILDREN OF WATER AND DUST 1991
CITY OF WOMEN 1998

FESTIVALS:

Int'l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) (2004/ Netherlands)
Festival Cinema Africano Asia e America Latina (2005/ Italy)
Thessaloniki Int'l Film Festival (2005/ Greece)
Vision du Reel Film Festival (2005/ Switzerland)
Cracow Int'l Film Festival (2005/ Poland)
Brooklyn Int'l Film Festival (3 – 12 June 2005/ USA)
Les Rencontres Int'l Doc Film Montreal (10 – 20 Nov 2005/ Canada)
3 Continents Int'l Film Festival in Nantes (22 – 29 Nov 2005/ France)
Pune Int'l Film Festival (12 – 20 Jan 2006/ India)
Sousse Int’l Film Festival for Childhood and Youth (fifej) (2006/ Tunisia)

print friendly