Salam Cinema

The director Mohsen Makhmalbaf plays himself in a film where the relationship between film and reality is examined hands-on. An Iranian film celebrating the centenary of the birth of film is planned and the director advertises for actors and extras. The 1.000 application forms quickly run out as 5.000 people appear on the day. Uproar and panic ensue in the fight for the forms, which are considered the road to success for ambitious young Iranians. The rest of the film contains conversations or the director's interviews with the applicants. They speak of themselves, about film and above all about why they are the most suitable people for the parts amongst thousands of others. The result gives not only a glimpse into people's relationship to film, but above all of various aspects of power, what people say and do in order to participate in a film. The aggressive questions force unexpected answers and reactions out of the applicants. As viewers we get to meet a cross-section of Iranian society; intellectuals, workers, children, but especially women. Some of them get to talk alone, others in a group. The director's attempt to see through ''the actor'' in order to judge his or her ability becomes both interesting and frightening. When a woman accuses Makhmalbaf of torturing his candidates she is offered his position and to continue the questioning. It turns out that she herself takes on the very role that she previously criticized. The film also exposes the ruthless scrutiny through which an actor may have to go in order to get a part, even though the part may be small: ''Can you laugh on demand? Or cry? Do it now!'' Jean-Luc Godard, amongst others, has made use of interviews to draw attention to the film as a medium. The interviews also work as an actor's vehicle in front of the camera. In a similar way Makhmalbaf shows in his film Salam Cinema how much of our own behaviour is role play, behaviour which is constantly confirmed by the codes that surround us in everyday life. PAS

Premiärstatus
Nordisk premiär: Medverkande
Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Azadeh Zangeneh, Maryam Keyhan: Producent
Abbas Ranjbar: Manus
Mohsen Makhmalbaf: Foto
Mahmoud Kalari: Musik
Shahrdad Rohani