Lecture of Mehdi Yarmohamadi, director of Khorshid Film Festival and Short Film Support Co. in 3rd International Sahar Film Festival in Manchester:
“About the future of Cinema”
Since its birth, Cinema has seen a lot of vicissitudes in its life. From entertainment to writing itinerary, from creating fantasy world to making documentaries about life of different kinds of people, from industry to art, from negative to digital.
However today, after years, Cinema has become mature and emerged beyond storytelling and recording events and stepped into the world of video-art and experimentalism. A world belonging to thinkers and philosophers who do not consider Cinema as a mere entertainment or attraction. In contrast they view it as a proper medium to redefine fundamental concepts in this century and to provide essential theories to the people of modern world. Therefore that means Cinema maturity because it has achieved good positions, that is experimental Cinema, a position that in my opinion will be living for important years.
In fact the function of experimental Cinema as the main path of effective and active Cinema (including a comprehensive repertoire of all its principles) is considered as a place to brainstorm to express ideas, thoughts and perspectives of philosophers who intend to modify the world to a better place to live according to a creative method and based on their own experience and understanding that is verily an integral part of anthropology. They have in mind to improve the world to a better place to live in and lead the society toward civilization that deserves human.
A kind of civilization based on redefinition of concepts that used to be called basic concepts in the past and acquiring true understanding of them the main challenges of modern mankind.
In the crisis of his identity he is looking for new and modern concepts of close-up and other size of frames, other patterns for tragedy, fantasy, comedy as well. He has diminished the borders of philosophy, psychology, anthropology, physics, music, painting, graphics, performance, and Cinema bravely and recklessly in order to revive the concept of anthropology in Cinema medium.
Nowadays experimental Cinema is moving toward the art of the author, a multidimensional art which belongs to an author of thought and wisdom who intends to represent a theory to world by offering a particular topic in his film or by presenting a new side of his outlook to a topic or issue.
The future of Cinema belongs to these thoughtful artists. Those who own an extraordinary wisdom and intelligence, having a special outlook to a topic and selecting an appropriate topic can pave the way for modern anthropology.
Future cinema is awaiting the thinkers to emerge and present their singular experience and understanding in their individual Cinema in an artistic manner based on studies and bestow the world in a more friendly and hopefully fashion to future generation.
I would like to brief my words and declare my message in a poetic mode to all filmmakers worldwide:
“Dear filmmaker, I’m addressing you from Earth…I live here…
Our era is the time of war, competition, boast of ones who acclaim to be better but actually are not, I know these well…And I know well that you’ve resorted to starry bright sky of your dreams …but…
I’m inviting you to Earth…besides the people who still drink water, breathe and miss you…Ones who smile when see the petty smile born in your film…ones who fragrance of flowers still reminds them of spring…
Hello…welcome to Earth…here is where we should build it together hand in hand…people seek for the signs of hopes and beauties in our films…look at your films… where have you concealed your beautiful dreams in your films?
Arise and look at spring till its wind elutes the sorrows in your eyes…
Make your most beautiful dreams, perhaps your beautiful dream mirror can adorn Earth…don’t hesitate that in reward for this beauty, sky will surely come to Earth’s banquet…
Cinema is awaiting you to come with your most beautiful dreams…
With Kindest Regards,
To all filmmakers around the world”
Mehdi Yarmohamadi