Dark Iranian film opens festival

DUE to the intensely political subject matter of ‘Manuscripts Don’t Burn’, the names of the cast and crew have been omitted.

The names of the cast and crew of Mohammad Rasoulof’s ‘Manuscripts Don’t Burn’ have been omitted for their protection.

WHEN the closing credits roll on the opening night of the Persian International Film Festival in Sydney next month, the cast and crew of the film will not be acknowledged.

Because of the intensely political subject matter of Mohammad Rasoulof’s Manuscripts Don’t Burn, pictured, and the director’s ongoing work ban by the Iranian authorities, the names of the cast and crew have been omitted for their protection.

The film, based on a true story and shot guerilla-style, focuses on the Iranian government’s attempted murder of writers and intellectuals in the 1990s, from the perspective of the two hit men.

On a lighter note, the festival — now in its third year — also features Don’t Be Tired!, a comedy about a tourist couple on a road trip, which won the audience award at the London Iranian Film Festival last year.

The Persian International Film Festival runs from September 11 to 14 at Sydney’s Chauvel Cinema in Paddington.