Fish & Cat
Fish & Cat | |
---|---|
English poster of the film | |
Directed by | Shahram Mokri |
Produced by |
Sepehr Seifi Kanoon Iran Novin |
Written by | Shahram Mokri |
Starring |
|
Music by | Christophe Rezai |
Cinematography | Mahmoud Kalari |
Distributed by |
Filmiran (Iran) Iranian Independents (International) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 134 minutes |
Country | Iran |
Language | Persian |
Fish & Cat (in Persian : ماهی و گربه; transliterated as Mahi va Gorbeh) is a 2013 mystery drama slasher[1] Iranian film directed by Shahram Mokri. The film tells the story of a group of university students camping at a lakeside for Kite-running competitions, all through a without-a-cut single shot.[2] The film was first premiered in the Venice Film Festival on 6 September 2013.[3] The film won the Special Award in 2013 Venice Film Festival and the FIPRESCI award in 2014 Fribourg International Film Festival.[4] In September 2015, Fish & Cat became one of ten shortlisted Iranian films for Iran's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards[5]
Fish & Cat is inspired by the true story of a restaurant that served human flesh in northern Iran at late 90s. Iranian actors Babak Karimi and Saeid Ebrahimifar along with some other young theatre artists have acted in the film.[6]
Many critics believe that Mokri’s screen representation is an innovative and technically impressive film.[7] The film was screened in Iran in few cinemas like Azadi cinema complex and Kourosh Complex in Tehran and Howeyzeh cinema complex in Mashhad.[8]
Plot
A number of students have traveled to the Caspian region in order to participate in a kite-flying event during the winter solstice. Next to their camp is a small hut occupied by three cooks who work at a nearby restaurant.
Cast
- Abed Abest as Parviz
- Mona Ahmadi as Nadia
- Ainaz Azarhoush as Parvaneh
- Nazanin Babaei as Shirin
- Mohammad Berahmani as Boy
- Siavash Cheraghipoor as Father
- Saeed Ebrahimifar as Saeed
- Alireza Esapoor as Guard
- Neda Jebraeili as Mina
- Shadi Karamroudi as Maral
- Babak Karimi as Babak
- Mohammad Reza Maleki as Jamshid
- Faraz Modiri as Kambiz
- Milad Rahimi as Shahrooz
- Arnavaz Safari as Asal
- Nima Shahrabi as Twin
- Pouya Shahrabi as Twin
- Khosrow Shahraz as Hamid
- Pedram Sharifi as Pedram
- Parinaz Tayyeb as Maryam
- Samaneh Vafaiezadeh as Ladan
Production
Fish & Cat is a film about time. How you can make a perspective in it and break that. This film was interesting for me to make and that was because of its method of production. Insisting on narrating a story in a single shot and try to break the time which goes ahead.
Technic
I like the paintings of Maurits Escher, where you can see a change in perspective in the same visual. In my film, I wanted to give a change in perspective of time in one single shot. So the idea for the film came from his paintings.
Shahram Mokri,[9] in an interview with The Hindu[10]
Gradually subverting a gruesome premise drawn from a real-life case of a backwoods restaurant that served human flesh, the film builds an atmosphere of tension as a menacing pair descend on a campsite where a group of college kids have gathered for a kite-flying festival. But as the camera doubles back and criss-crosses between characters in real time, subtle space-time paradoxes suggest that something bigger is going on.[11]
Music
Mokri wanted a kind of music that combined minimal music with horror Z-movies style of music, so he asked Kristoph Rezaee to compose it.[12]
Critical reception
Manohla Dargis from New York Times wrote: " It’s a tour de force — the cinematographer is Mahmoud Kalari, who shot “A Separation” — and as quietly political as it is brazenly cinematic." [13]
Steve MacFarlane from Slant Magazine wrote: "The film is a game: Shahram Mokri challenges his viewers to grip parallel narrative threads in what feels like suspiciously real time, rather than to assemble or contextualize any metaphorical ones."[14]
Alissa Simon from Variety wrote: "“A highly original, compelling feature, filmed in one long, bravura shot establishing Shahram Mokri as a distinctive talent.” [15]
Awards
- Dubai International Film Festival 2013 - Muhr AsiaAfrica Special Jury Prize
- Fribourg International Film Festival 2014 - FIPRESCI Prize and Youth Jury Award[9]
- Venice Film Festival 2013 - Venice Horizons Award - Special Prize [16]
- 13th Lisbon International Film Festival - Best Film award
- 13th If Istanbul Independent Film Festival - Best Film Award
References
- ↑ "یک غافلگیری ایرانی / گفتوگو با شهرام مکری و سعید ابراهیمیفر درباره "ماهی و گربه"". Khabar Online.
- ↑ Clarence, Tsui. "Fish & Cat (Mahi va Gorbeh): Film Review". hollywoodreporter.com. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ↑ "Fish & Cat (2013) Release Info". Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ↑ "Iran 'Fish and Cat' wins top award in Venice film festival". Press TV. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ↑ http://blogs.indiewire.com/sydneylevine/iran-shortlists-10-films-as-potential-oscar-submissions-20150925
- ↑ "Shahram Mokri to Take Part in Three International Film Festivals with "Fish and Cat"". Fars News. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Iranian film 'Fish and Cat' wins at Vietnamese film festival". Press TV.
- ↑ "خرید بلیت سینما: فیلم ماهی و گربه". cinematicket.org.
- 1 2 3 "ماهی و گربه". The Official Website of Shahram Mokri.
- ↑ "Young Iran's love for horror". thehindu.com. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Fish & Cat 2013". http://www.nziff.co.nz/. External link in
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(help) - ↑ "مهندسیشده فیلم ساختیم / "ماهی و گربه" در گفتوگو با شهرام مکری و سعید ابراهیمیفر". Khabar Online.
- ↑ Dargis, Manohla. "New Directors/New Films Highlights Include 'Fish & Cat'". New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ MACFARLANE, STEVE. "Fish & Cat; Film Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ↑ Simon, Alissa. "Venice Film Review: 'Fish & Cat'". Variety. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ↑ "Mahi va gorbeh - Awards". IMDb.