Iranian doc centers on clerics’ love of cinema

TEHRAN. (Iranart) – Iranian filmmaker Sadeq Davari, who is famous for his documentary films on Shia clerics such as “The Funny Sheikh of Kashan” and “Fihi Ma Fih”, has made his new film “The Principles of Acting” on the clerics’ love of acting in films.

The film had its premiere on Sunday at the 12th Cinéma Vérité festival currently underway at Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex.

In his efforts to make the previous documentary films on Shia clerics, Davari ascertained the desire to act in a number of clerics. “Accordingly, I began to hold talks with them and the outcome was ‘The Principles of Acting’,” he told the Persian service of MNA on Tuesday.

“To delve deeply into the issue, I also asked a number of professional actors to comment about starring as a cleric in a film,” he added.

The actors complained that they are not given a freer hand in acting in the role of a cleric, Davari said and added that making a film about clerics is a matter of great political sensitivity that puts restrictions on filmmakers’ efforts to do their best.

Davari has previously made “Fihi Ma Fih” that centers on the obstacles directors have in their path to making a film on a famous cleric.

One of his film projects on Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati remained unfinished after Ayatollah Jannati refused to continue collaborating with him.     

Among his credits is also “The Funny Sheikh of Kashan” about Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Qaraati, who held a series of Quranic sessions titled “Lessons from Quran”, which was aired by Iranian television for over 30 years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Source: Tehran Times