In late May of 2007 Peter Scarlet, artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival and our host and co-curator for CINEMONDO, traveled to the Kurdish-held area of Northern Iraq and shot an interview with Iranian Kurd filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi. Bahman Ghobadi first came to the movie world's attention in 2000, when his first feature film, "A Time for Drunken Horses," won the prize for best first feature at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was the first Kurdish language movie ever to gain worldwide attention. Since then Ghobadi has made three more features, all in the Kurdish language. His most recent, "Half Moon," is currently banned in Iran though it has been shown in festivals around the world. Link TV's 17-minute profile of Ghobadi provides a fascinating introduction to the work of a filmmaker who has riveted audiences around the world with his courageous and deeply affecting films about Kurdish life on the Iranian-Iraqi border.For more: http://linktv.org/cinemondo [ More Detail ]
Bahamn Ghobadi talks about his films, cinema and Kurdistan.About Ghobadi:Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish: بههمهنی قوبادی, Persian: بهمن قبادی ) is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.He was born in Baneh, in northwestern Kurdistan Province of Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. In 1983, Kambozia Partovi discovered him as a young talent and supported him to enter cinema. Among others who had major influence on Ghobadi, was Behrouz Maghsoudlou, a renowned Iranian documentary film director and film critic. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from the Iranian Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life In Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. He was also one of the two main actors in Samira Makhmalbaf's The Blackboard (1999).Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival.In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani (also assistant director) acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's world-class musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which is a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraq and organize a concert in Iraqi Kurdistan.In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film "Turtles Can FlyFilmography:Short Films:Golbaji 1990 A Glance 1990Again Rain with Melody 1995Party 1996Like Mother 1996God's Fish 1996 Notebook's Quote 1996Ding 1996Life in Fog 1997 The Pigeon of Nader Flew 1997 Telephone Booth 1997 War is Over 2003 Daf 2003Films:A Time for Drunken Horses 2000 Marooned in Iraq 2002 Turtles Can Fly 2004 Half Moon 2006 [ More Detail ]
Bahamn Ghobadi talks about his films, cinema and Kurdistan.About Ghobadi:Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish: بههمهنی قوبادی, Persian: بهمن قبادی ) is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.He was born in Baneh, in northwestern Kurdistan Province of Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. In 1983, Kambozia Partovi discovered him as a young talent and supported him to enter cinema. Among others who had major influence on Ghobadi, was Behrouz Maghsoudlou, a renowned Iranian documentary film director and film critic. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from the Iranian Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life In Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. He was also one of the two main actors in Samira Makhmalbaf's The Blackboard (1999).Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival.In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani (also assistant director) acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's world-class musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which is a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraq and organize a concert in Iraqi Kurdistan.In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film "Turtles Can FlyFilmography:Short Films:Golbaji 1990 A Glance 1990Again Rain with Melody 1995Party 1996Like Mother 1996God's Fish 1996 Notebook's Quote 1996Ding 1996Life in Fog 1997 The Pigeon of Nader Flew 1997 Telephone Booth 1997 War is Over 2003 Daf 2003Films:A Time for Drunken Horses 2000 Marooned in Iraq 2002 Turtles Can Fly 2004 Half Moon 2006 [ More Detail ]
Bahamn Ghobadi talks about his films, cinema and Kurdistan.About Ghobadi:Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish: بههمهنی قوبادی, Persian: بهمن قبادی ) is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.He was born in Baneh, in northwestern Kurdistan Province of Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. In 1983, Kambozia Partovi discovered him as a young talent and supported him to enter cinema. Among others who had major influence on Ghobadi, was Behrouz Maghsoudlou, a renowned Iranian documentary film director and film critic. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from the Iranian Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life In Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. He was also one of the two main actors in Samira Makhmalbaf's The Blackboard (1999).Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival.In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani (also assistant director) acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's world-class musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which is a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraq and organize a concert in Iraqi Kurdistan.In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film "Turtles Can FlyFilmography:Short Films:Golbaji 1990 A Glance 1990Again Rain with Melody 1995Party 1996Like Mother 1996God's Fish 1996 Notebook's Quote 1996Ding 1996Life in Fog 1997 The Pigeon of Nader Flew 1997 Telephone Booth 1997 War is Over 2003 Daf 2003Films:A Time for Drunken Horses 2000 Marooned in Iraq 2002 Turtles Can Fly 2004 Half Moon 2006 [ More Detail ]
Bahamn Ghobadi talks about his films, cinema and Kurdistan.About Ghobadi:Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish: بههمهنی قوبادی, Persian: بهمن قبادی ) is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.He was born in Baneh, in northwestern Kurdistan Province of Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. In 1983, Kambozia Partovi discovered him as a young talent and supported him to enter cinema. Among others who had major influence on Ghobadi, was Behrouz Maghsoudlou, a renowned Iranian documentary film director and film critic. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from the Iranian Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life In Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. He was also one of the two main actors in Samira Makhmalbaf's The Blackboard (1999).Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival.In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani (also assistant director) acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's world-class musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which is a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraq and organize a concert in Iraqi Kurdistan.In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film "Turtles Can FlyFilmography:Short Films:Golbaji 1990 A Glance 1990Again Rain with Melody 1995Party 1996Like Mother 1996God's Fish 1996 Notebook's Quote 1996Ding 1996Life in Fog 1997 The Pigeon of Nader Flew 1997 Telephone Booth 1997 War is Over 2003 Daf 2003Films:A Time for Drunken Horses 2000 Marooned in Iraq 2002 Turtles Can Fly 2004 Half Moon 2006 [ More Detail ]
Bahamn Ghobadi talks about his films, cinema and Kurdistan.About Ghobadi:Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish: بههمهنی قوبادی, Persian: بهمن قبادی ) is a Kurdish Iranian film director. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Iran. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.He was born in Baneh, in northwestern Kurdistan Province of Iran. His family moved to Sanandaj in 1981. In 1983, Kambozia Partovi discovered him as a young talent and supported him to enter cinema. Among others who had major influence on Ghobadi, was Behrouz Maghsoudlou, a renowned Iranian documentary film director and film critic. Ghobadi received a Bachelor of Arts in film directing from the Iranian Broadcasting College. After a brief career in industrial photography, Ghobadi began making short 8 mm films. His documentary Life In Fog won numerous awards. Bahman Ghobadi was assistant director on Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us. He was also one of the two main actors in Samira Makhmalbaf's The Blackboard (1999).Bahman Ghobadi founded Mij Film in 2000, a company with the aim of production of films in Iran about its different ethnic groups. His first feature film was A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), the first Kurdish film produced in Iran. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which brought him the Gold Plaque from Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly, followed in 2004, winning the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival.In 2006, Ghobadi's Half Moon won Golden Shell at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Iran's renowned actors Golshifteh Farahani, Hassan Poorshirazi and Hedyeh Tehrani (also assistant director) acted in this movie. The music of the movie was made by Iran's world-class musician Hossein Alizadeh. The film, which is a collaborative project by Iran, France, Austria and Iraq, was shot fully in Iranian Kurdistan. However, it narrates the story of a group of Iranian Kurdish musicians who would like to travel to Iraq and organize a concert in Iraqi Kurdistan.In 2006, Index on Censorship gave Ghobadi an Index Film Award for making a significant contribution to freedom of expression through his film "Turtles Can FlyFilmography:Short Films:Golbaji 1990 A Glance 1990Again Rain with Melody 1995Party 1996Like Mother 1996God's Fish 1996 Notebook's Quote 1996Ding 1996Life in Fog 1997 The Pigeon of Nader Flew 1997 Telephone Booth 1997 War is Over 2003 Daf 2003Films:A Time for Drunken Horses 2000 Marooned in Iraq 2002 Turtles Can Fly 2004 Half Moon 2006 [ More Detail ]
The Spanish trailer for Bahman Ghobadi's newst films, Half Moon (Media Luna). The Director of Turltes Can Fly, Marooned in Iraq and A Time for the Drunken Horses.Half Moon (Kurdish: Nîwe Mang/Nîvê Heyvê) is a 2006 film written and directed by the Iranian Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi. Half Moon is a joint production of Iran, Austria, France and Iraq. This movie was commissioned by the New Crowned Hope festival, a celebration of the 250th birthday of Amadeus Mozart, and the story plot has been inspired in part by the Requiem.Mamo, an old Kurdish musician in the twilight of his life, plans to perform one final concert a cry of freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan. The village's elderly warn him that as the moon becomes full something awful would happen to him and urge him not to proceed with his plan. After several months of trying to overcome the red-tape, he begins a long and dangerous journey along with his sons. Along the way, the group picks up female singer Hesho who resides in a village of 1,334 exiled women singers. This adds to the complications of the trip as women are not allowed to sing in Iran. Despite all these obstacles, Mamo is determined to continue with his journey across the border.Awards:1. People's choice Award, International Competition, Istanbul International Film Festival, 2007. 2. Best Cinematography, San Sebastián International Film Festival, 2006. 3. FIPRESCI Prize, San Sebastián International Film Festival, 2006. 4. Golden Seashell, San Sebastián International Film Festival, 2006. [ More Detail ]