Landmark Iranian Films to Be Screened at the Cinema Museum

In the run-up to National Cinema Day, restored and remastered versions of Ali Hatami’s “Sattar Khan”, Amir Naderi’s “Tangsir”, Dariush Mehrjui’s “Hamoun”, Nasser Taghvai’s “I’m an Iranian” and Varuzh Karim-Masihi’s “The Last Act” will be screened at the Cinema Museum of Iran.

According to Artmag.ir, restored versions of several landmark works of Iranian cinema, prepared for screening on the occasion of National Cinema Day by the National Film Archive of Iran, will be shown from Tuesday, 8 September to Saturday, 12 September, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Cinematograph Hall of the Cinema Museum of Iran.

The screening schedule is as follows: “I’m an Iranian”, directed by Nasser Taghvai, on Tuesday, 8 September; “Tangsir”, directed by Amir Naderi, on Wednesday, 9 September; “Sattar Khan”, directed by Ali Hatami, on Thursday, 11 September; “Hamoun”, directed by Dariush Mehrjui, on Friday, 11 September; and “The Last Act”, directed by Varuzh Karim-Masihi, on Saturday, 12 September.

In the country, every available physical facility, intellectual capability, tool and piece of equipment, as well as the knowledge and expertise of specialists in analogue restoration, has been employed with the utmost effort to ensure that the valuable national collection of documents and visual works is preserved and maintained in the best achievable condition and given a longer lifespan.

However, it is important to note that celluloid film 16mm, 35mm and other formats, as well as various types of sound recording tapes will sooner or later inevitably undergo deterioration over time because of their chemical composition. Fortunately, digital technology has enabled film archives to restore damage sustained by films and repair it to a considerable extent.

The National Film Archive of Iran is seeking to contribute to this effort by acquiring the necessary equipment and gaining access to the latest knowledge and technology, while also drawing on the cooperation of specialised personnel. Its efforts include rescuing the country’s visual documents as quickly as possible, creating digital versions, restoring and recovering lost colours and images, and improving poor-quality sound.

The National Film Archive of Iran is striving not only to restore the country’s essential audiovisual documents, but also to provide cinema enthusiasts with the unique experience of watching restored versions of these Iranian cinematic works.