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Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
One-take movie by Iranian director among 98 films competing at fest
1 2 Kolkata: Ninety-eight films, exploring diverse subjects, such as AI, the desire for hilsa in a patriarchal household and Kolkata's music shop, are vying for the top awards at the 8th South Asian Short Film Festival that started at Nandan on Monday. Among the entries at the festival, launched by the Federation of Film Societies of India (Eastern Region), is a single-take film—'Spasm' —by an Iranian director and an Indian producer. Directed by Sahra Asadollahi and produced by Deepankar Prakash, the short film, 'Spasm', is about what happens when a woman who has never acted in film goes for an audition that becomes a test of more than just her acting ability. "I met Sahra at a festival in Nepal in 2023. Soon, we decided to collaborate and started work on this 27-minute-long film. Sahra, an actor in Iran, shot the film completely in Tehran, while I was in India. She herself played the role of the woman in the film," said Prakash, whose 'Naanera' had won in the competition on Indian Language's Films at the Kolkata International Film Festival in 2022. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata In 'Spasm', Asadollahi plays a young Iranian woman who dreamed of being an actor since her childhood but could not manage to get a good role. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Меките и удобни ежедневни обувки улесняват ходенето ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo Finally, she is called for an audition, where the director and producer of an upcoming film interview her. From her father's horse to her 10-month-old baby—questions are flung at her from all quarters. Finally, a situation arises where she is compelled to believe she is rejected. But the situation takes a different turn when she is told the confrontation was deliberately orchestrated to evaluate her acting skill. In recent times, the long single-take shooting approach, especially after the success of 'Adolescence', has got cine enthusiasts talking. 'Spasm' is the first one-take film in competition at the South Asian Short Film Festival. What makes this film engaging is how minimalism has been effectively used to counter the challenges of filming by a woman director in Iran. Shot inside one room with minimal production and sound design, 'Spasm' features only an animated Asadollahi seated in front of the camera. The camera angle is such that the faces of no other cast member, including the director and the producer, are visible. For many independent film-makers, who complain about shortage of funds and lack of infrastructure in this city, the film is a lesson on how big ideas, not big budgets, are important for good cinema. "Sahra is unable to come to Kolkata now because of the situation in her country. But I will be at the festival," Prakash added.
El Chorouk
11-04-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
No Solution For Western Sahara Except Through a Self-Determination Referendum
The Western Sahara issue can only be settled permanently and fairly through a fair and transparent self-determination referendum under UN supervision, the Council of the Nation, chaired by Salah Goudjil, said on Thursday in a press release. The Council reiterated its firm affirmation that the Western Sahara issue 'cannot find a path to a permanent and just settlement except by enabling the proud Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination within the framework of a fair and transparent referendum under the supervision and responsibility of the United Nations.' In this context, the National Assembly considered the US State Department's confirmation of the United States' position on the just Sahrawi cause to be 'a deviation from international legitimacy, which is supposed to be respected by a permanent member of the UN Security Council.' He pointed out that this position 'will feed the ambitions of the Moroccan colonialist regime with illusory victories, which cannot change the facts of history or circumvent its inevitability, which despises and rejects colonialism, no matter how long it lasts.' It will also 'undermine past international efforts to consolidate UN solutions and enable the Sahrawi people to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the agreed-upon legal framework represented by the 1991 UN Settlement Plan,' the source added. Based on the Algerian state's position expressed in the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Community Abroad, and African Affairs on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the Council of the Nation emphasized that the Sahrawi issue 'has a unique legal nature, namely that of decolonization, as established in all relevant international and regional resolutions, and is registered with the same legal status on the agenda of the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly and its resolutions, which enshrine the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.' In this context, the National People's Assembly reiterated that the solution to the Sahrawi issue lies in adherence to the settlement plan agreed upon by the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco in 1991, which established the MINURSO Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, based on the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. The same source explained that 'the solution lies in adhering to the settlement plan agreed upon by the two parties in 1991 under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) and the United Nations. This plan was unanimously approved by the Security Council, which established the MINURSO Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, based on the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.' The Council stated that it had followed with 'deep regret' the content of the press release issued by the US State Department, which 'supports the expansionist approach of the Moroccan occupation against the Sahrawi Arab Republic, in a manner inconsistent with previous US positions based on the values of peace, freedom, justice, and the right of peoples to self-determination.' 'This position is not consistent with international legitimacy, as reflected in the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as the resolutions and rulings issued by international, African, and European judicial bodies,' the council added. These resolutions and judgments affirm 'the legal character of the issue as a matter of decolonization, following General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonized Countries and Peoples, which affirms that the subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and cooperation…'
