The onus is on viewers to find the messages: Rahmani
The first and foremost requisite when you set out to make a film in Iran is the script, said filmmaker Mohammed Reza Rahmani, whose film Bleeding Hearts has won rave reviews at the ongoing IFFI.
Rahmani said that though a whopping 1500 films are produced every year in Iran, only 150 of them are feature films. "I started my career as a short film-maker and it is only after having made 14 short films that I have now made the transition from being short to a feature with my film Bleeding..."
When asked about the difference between making a short film and a feature film, Rahmani said that one sets out to make a short film with one's heart, while making a feature film is to share one's heart with several others. "There is less freedom when one sets out to make a short film besides the fact that one has to contend with the problem of budget and other related problems."
As his film Bleeding Hearts deals with the theme of a man who is waiting for the execution verdict for having killed his wife, Rahmani said he made it a point to visit as many jails as possible four years earlier, as part of his research before launching his film.
Rahmani said he does not believe in driving home any message to the audiences when he sets out to make a film. "I would be happy that the audience find out for themselves what message I am trying to convey. An idea is like a baby for a film-maker. I just work on the idea and without getting unduly bothered about the so-called message."
