Closing night at the Noor Film FestivalBy Susanna Whitmore

I’m a bit of a glutton for Middle Eastern culture, especially when it comes to the visual and performing arts.  It was therefore a no brainer to spend the entire weekend at the 3rd annual Noor Film Festival (May 1-3, 2009), a showcase for Iranian filmmakers.  Out of the 15 films I saw (a total of 18 entries were selected out of 172 submissions), there were at least 4-5 truly outstanding feature/ documentary films, a handful that I felt tanked, and the rest falling somewhere in between.    

With the continued onslaught of stereotyping Middle Easterners in mainstream Hollywood films and in the media, it was refreshing to see so many films that accurately portrayed the lives of Iranians, both locally and globally.  The movies on the youth in Iran (“Tehran:  Another Side”; “Young Republic”; “Warring Factions”), portrayed intelligent, thoughtful and mature young adults, aware of global politics, open to Americans and certain aspects of US culture, yet highly sensitive to how they were perceived from the outside, and as such committed to debunking the myths and stereotypes that they hear on a regular basis (camels and donkeys in the streets of Tehran, etc.).

There were just a few non-Iranians in the audience (counting myself), which begs for more cross-cultural festival outreach.  These films need to be seen by outside audiences. What will it take to get more non-Iranian Americans into the theatre? It goes without saying that Levantine Cultural Center is super-supportive of the Noor Film Festival, which was launched by actor Anthony Azizi and radio personality Siamak Ghrahremani in 2007.

Producer David Diaan (right) and his "Otis E." cinematographerNarrating the politicized aspect of Iranian identity and the importance of connecting to the homeland were central themes woven throughout many of the films.  I personally was drawn to the pieces, already mentioned above, that showcased the adventures and challenges of US-born-and-bred Iranians as they narrated their way back to Iran to reconnect with their other halves—as in themselves—as well as with their peers.  But there was also a self-reflective sense of gloom in some of these films.  In the “Generation of Nowhereland,” the angst and despair conveyed through a telephone dialogue served to show the uncertainty of fragmented identities, across all generations, and the constant mediating of contradictions needed to find peace.  And while the festival ended with “Otis E.”, a deeply disturbing film about an x-convict’s violent past and present, it was also refreshing to see an Iranian (Fariborz Davoodian) produce a film that wasn’t self-absorbed in the Iranian experience.   

"Donkey in Lahore": survivors of a culture clashThe Levantine-sponsored film, “Donkey in Lahore,” a film made by Australian-Iranian director Faramarz K-Rahber, also dealt with a non-Iranian theme.  The challenging long distance relationship between an Australian Goth puppeteer and a young Pakistani woman was as engaging as it was unlikely.  This deeply human story, which took five years to film in both Australia and Pakistan, was about the coming together of two individuals from diametrically opposed cultures.  So appealing was this mismatched couple and the awkwardness of their attempts to coexist, that the audience gave out a collective sigh of disappointment when the director mentioned during the Q & A that after six years, unfortunately their relationship wasn’t doing very well.  The film walked away with three well-deserved awards:  Best Documentary, Audience Favorite, and Best Director.

Justin Mashouf's "Warring Factions"While Best Documentary Nominee “Warring Factions” did not win any awards, it was an intelligent and well-filmed piece directed by Iranian American Justin Mashouf, a young Muslim of mixed race (Iranian father/American mother).   Justin documents his journey to Iran as he hooks up with family and bonds with a group of Iranian b-boys.  An interesting parallel to the break-dancing scenes are his workouts at a zurkhaneh (house of strength), practicing the ancient Persian martial arts tradition of varzesh bastani (sport of the ancients), which dates back to pre-Islamic times and combines warrior style physical training with Sufi ideals.  Thoughtful, imaginative and open, Justin seems to represent the new generation of Muslims in the Middle East and U.S. that balance Islamic culture with hip, contemporary lifestyles.

Lastly, my other favorite, “Hayedeh:  Legendary Persian Diva,” was a very well crafted documentary on the life of a hugely successful and popular singer, the equivalent to Om Kalthoum.  Set within the context of the political and historical upheaval, and the drama on and off stage that took place throughout her life, as a student of Persian singing and daf, I was thrilled to get such an in-depth historical 101 on this amazing singer.

All in all, this weekend turned out to be a welcomed immersion into Iranian culture for me, and no doubt a walk down memory lane for Iranian viewers to touch base with their roots, reflect on the multi-dimensional aspect of their identities, and relive some profound historical moments (“In the Dark”; “Flags of Kaveh’s Castle”; “Hayedeh:  Legendary Persian Diva”).

see also the director's blog and photos on the Noor Film Festival

Susanna Whitmore is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology at Cal State LA. on the Middle Eastern music scene in Los Angeles, and how musical performance encourages intercultural exchange and understanding as a way to transcend nationalist, religious and cultural divides.  She is also a co-founder of a multicultural research and market strategy company that helps corporate clients attract Hispanic, Asian and African American consumers. Susanna joined the board of directors at the Levantine Cultural Center in October 2008.