A FIRE | YEK ATASH (1961)

Synopsis

In the spring of 1958, in the region of Khuzestan, at the heart of the Iranian oil industry and of Persian civilization, an oil well explodes during a drilling.

The eruption is endless; the fire is powerful, indestructible, and gigantic. It is a dragon. In any case, that is how it is how it is presented in A Fire.—Stéfani de Loppinot, Cinéma 07



A look at Ebrahim Golestan’s oil documentaries, which also examine his collaboration with poet and filmmaker Forough Farrokhzad. In 1958, an oil well in southwest Iran caught fire. Abolghassem Rezaie, the son of one of the pioneers of Iranian cinema, made FIRE-FIGHT AT AHWAZ about the disaster.

When Golestan saw the black-and-white footage, for which he wrote the narration, he saw that the story held even greater potential and decided to produce his own version of the events – this time in colour. Golestan’s version, A FIRE, proved to be his first major international success. It was edited by Farrokhzad, who combined her poetic sensibilities with Golestan’s more symbolic approach.

Farrokhzad also acted in COURTSHIP, a short made for Canadian television, in which Golestan demonstrates a marvellous ability with mise en scène, especially in his assured use of the camera. In the same year, Farrokhzad made THE HOUSE IS BLACK, set in a leper colony in northwest Iran. Celebrated as one of the greatest films ever made, it is a dialogue between the passions of the poet (Farrokhzad) and the voice of reason (Golestan). (Viennale)

Read about this film

Country: Iran
Language: Farsi | English
Color: Color
Runtime: 25 min.