Cinema Cinema

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Cinema Cinema – A famous Iranian director, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, makes merriment out of mayhem when more than 5,000 wannabes show up for a casting call for 100 actors advertised in a Tehran newspaper. The mass of hopefuls try to push and shove their way in, and a riot ensues. Makhmalbaf suspected it, but this truly confirms his hunch that there is a movie star wish in everyone, if given the chance.

The screen tests are his circus, and he is the circus master. Groups of men and women are separately brought in and tested for a part in Makhmalbaf’s new film, Salam Cinema. He examines their reasons for wanting to act. He commands one to cry. And another, a mute, he tells her to use her disability. The actors are full of dreams and hopes, especially the women who seek self-expression in a society where men rule.

Maani Petgar’s film documents the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, who justifies the way in which he conducts the interviews, which he sometimes manipulates, playing on the auditioners’ wishes and dreams. It is clear from the film and those interviewed that cinema in Iran and worldwide cinema are beloved forms of entertainment. Salam Cinema is Makhmalbaf’s homage to Cinema’s 100th anniversary.

Director: Maani Petgar (1994) / Run Time: 75 min.

Awards/Festivals:

• Cannes Film Festival, 1995