BUSAN, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) — Iranian director Hadi Mohaghegh said Wednesday his latest film, “Scent of Wind,” set to open this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), tells a story of sorrow and pain of being human but will deliver joy of life through suffering.

Internationally premiered at BIFF, “Scent of Wind” revolves around a disabled man living with his handicapped son in a remote Iranian village and an electricity company employee who tries to fix a power outage for the poor family.

Mohaghegh said he didn’t just make the movie but was “being with it” by writing the script and playing the main role of the patient, reticent engineer who encounters many unexpected problems during his journey to get parts to repair a telegraph pole.

The slow, quiet film features strong visual storytelling with a panoramic view of the magnificent mountainous landscape of the barren region, his hometown.

“You feel sad as there are so many sufferings, but somehow you feel joy inside them,” Mohaghegh said through his interpreter at a press conference following the movie’s screening.
Mohaghegh said he decided to play the lead role to better deliver the character’s inner feelings, because how he deals with several difficulties is the main subject of the movie.

“I think in our life, there are many different barriers,” he said. “I wanted to show the reaction and attitude of the man when he faces the barrier.”

The director, who won the top prize for BIFF’s New Currents competition section with “Immortal” (2015), said he is happy to be back in Busan and appreciated the festival’s contribution to Iranian cinema.

“I feel like I’m back home again,” he said. “The Busan film festival helped a lot for the development of Iranian movies. It’s very important.”

“Scent of Wind” is one of eight nominees for the inaugural Jiseok award given to select works of established Asian filmmakers. It is named after late BIFF program director Kim Jiseok.

Source: Yonhap News Agency