faces

It's the way you cross my mind
and how you've touched my heart...
...that the more I find
It's my soul you want

me

the silent city

This film, which is directed by Amir Shahab Razavian and was highly praised in the 25th International Fajr film festival (2 years ago), finally came out in theaters all over Iran this summer. Being nominated in at least 7 categories, it won the "Crystal Simorgh" (the Iranian oscar) for best direction and the one for best male actor in leading role. Which was taken home by no one less than Ezatollah Entezami, Iran's most prominent actor. Entezami began his career in Mehrjui's "Gaav" (the cow, 1969) and is now a living legend in Iranian cinema history.

His performance in "mina-e shahr-e khamush" or "The colors of memory" was good and also that of his fellow actors, but in my opinion it was not one of his best works. The film itself could also have done a lot better, for instance, the end of the story about Entezami's "love-of-his-life" came as no surprise, you can easily guess what happened. Also a lot of the questions that rise as the film proceeds remain unanswered to the audience, (why is it that "Bahman" feels such hatred for his dead father?, and where is "Mina" really?). I'm not saying that things should be always clear but if you wan't to make an acceptable story, you can't just leave everything to the imagination!

What touched my hart especially in this film was the parts related to the tragic loss of the bigger half of Bams population due to the terrible earthquake, now 5 years ago. Indeed it is an event that should never be forgotten.

artgallery

Art expodition in one of the galleries at Khane Honarmandane Iran in Baghe honar park, Tehran.

lunch

had lunch in this vegetarian restaurant in Baghe honar park today, ordered a special from the "chefs menu", vegetarian spaghettie with salad and a glass of watermelon juice, jummie! It cost me 44000 Rials but most of the food ranged between 10000 and 40000 Rials. Noticed there were al lot of vegetarian pizza's on the menu. Unfortunately, i forgot to take a picture of my dish, guess i was too hungry at the moment, but i did take a few photo's of the place afterwards. That was before one of the waiters came to tell me politetly that photographing was not aloud there. fortunately for me he didn't ask me to erase the ones i already had taken!

footstep

persepolis

...

people never running, people never dying
they just stand there , alongside this road
...as i'm walking by
with my innocence of youth, already forgotten about yesterday

...me