TEHRAN (IFILM) -- The 21st
Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) has added Iranian feature film ‘The Sniper’ by Ali Ghaffari to lineup.
‘The Sniper’ is about the real-life martyr Abdolrasoul Zarrin, who was known as the cleverest sniper in modern wars during Iraq’s imposed war on Iran.
The sniper, best known for his pinpoint accuracy, inflicted heavy casualties on the Iraqi forces during the 1980-88 war waged by Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein. Zarrin was martyred during the Kheibar Operation in 1984.
“An Iranian sniper has become a nightmare for the officers and commanders of Iraq’s Baath army. Saddam personally puts a bounty on his head. Mercenaries and the most elite forces of Baath army are dispatched on a mission to carry out Saddam’s order…,” a synopsis of the film reads.
In addition to Kambiz Dirbaz and Alireza Delavari, the cast list of the film includes Alireza Kamali and Esmaeel Khalaj.
The film received two awards at the 39th Fajr Film Festival in Iran, including Crystal Simorgh for best film from the National Point of View.
Iranian feature film ‘Urgent Cut Off’, ‘No Prior Appointment’ by Behrouz Shoeibi, Mahmoud Ghaffari’s ‘The Apple Day’ and ‘A Childless Village’ by Reza Jamali have also been shortlisted as Iranian competitors of the Bangladeshi screening event.
Since 1977, the DIFF has been promoting a healthy culture in the film industry in Bangladesh with the main theme of “Better Film, Better Audience, Better Society”.
Some 200 films from 60 countries compete at the DIFF in the following categories: Asian Competition Section, Retrospective, Bangladesh Panorama, Cinema of the World, Children’s Film, Short and Independent Film, Women Filmmakers Section, and Spiritual Films Section.
The festival’s website states the “DIFF is a bold expression of resistance against the decadence, vulgarity and cheap commercialism that pervades the mainstream Bangladesh film industry”.
The 2023 edition of the event will take place in the Bangladeshi capital from January 14 to 22.