Motamed Arya made the remarks in an interview with the Italy’s Rai News 24 on the sidelines of the 36th edition of Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF), which kicked off officially in Tehran on Thursday (April 19).
Fatemeh Motamed Arya is a multi-award-winning Iranian actress. She first got involved in theater during her teen years, and received her degree in theater from Tehran Art Institute. She is one of the most significant actresses of post-revolutionary Iranian cinema and has been called ‘one of the most important actresses and filmmakers of Iran’.
She has been nominated nine times for the best actress award at the Fajr International Film Festival and won the Crystal Simorgh four times.
Some parts of her interview is as follows:
Question: We know in Italy that cinema is very important in Iran, as an Iranian actress in theater and cinema, can you tell us something about the relationships between the cinema and people? Why cinema is very important in Iran?
Answer: I think it is very important because it is some part of their life. Iranians love cinema because cinema shows them the reality of their life and also their dreams.
After the victory of the Islamic revolution, the people supported the Iranian cinema. That means that they have been grown up with the Iranian cinema after the revolution.
Q: Were you an actress before the revolution?
A: I was student of art before revolution. After the revolution I moved from theater to cinema.
Q: Was it a “big change” for you?
A: It was not a big change, because I moved to the cinema. I did not jump. It means I have thought about this decision. When I started theater I had a lot of dreams to go to big stage to play Shakespeare, Chekhov. I felt that I would do that. And I did when I was very young and teenage. After the revolution the theater was banned for about two or three years. So I decided to experience other parts of arts and cinema was the very close to theater.
It was not a big change for me because I have thought about it, but I think there is a big difference between cinema and theater in general.
Q: As a part of the organizing team of the festival, are your proud of it?
A: I had worked so hard. I know, I have used my authority in acting here (festival) in a good way to help my collogues and students to make some different art and cultural event in my country.
Q: So it is a mission for you?
A: Yes it is.
Q: Next month we are having an important festival in Cannes and it would be opened by an Iranian director Asaghar Farhadi, are you happy with that?
A: Sure I am. I used to go to Cannes since the past 20 years ago till now and each year and I see how much the Iranian cinema has been succeeded specially in the Cannes. I am proud of Asghar Farhadi. You know that he did not make the movie in Iran and it has been shooted in Spain. It does not matter where he is working now, the most important thing is that its works have the taste of the “Iranian culture” and I am very proud of that.