Night Bus is a variation of a genre of Iranian films known as ’Sacred Defense’. This genre depicts different aspects of eight years of Iraq-imposed war as viewed by Iranian filmmakers, notably the hostilities triggered by deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the sacrifices of both Iranian combatants and non-combatants.
The most outstanding directors producing the best films on ’Sacred Defense’ include Ebrahim Hatamikia, Kamal Tabrizi and the late Rasoul Molaqolipour.
They presented diverse views on the war which were more profound, humane, less conventional and even satirical. Nevertheless, during the war and after that, many films on this subject were produced.
They looked superficially at the events and relied more on action, mere entertainment and stereotypes. They couldn’t delve into the war and its psychological and social impacts on the people who were directly or indirectly involved in those decisive moments of Iranian history.
Meanwhile, some other filmmakers who were not originally Sacred Defense directors experienced this genre and depicted the impact of the Iraq’s invasion on the lives of innocent people, particularly children. For instance ’Grown-Ups Game’ directed by Kambouzia Partovi (1992) follows the story of two child protagonists whose city is about to be overrun. In the absence of adults, the children must themselves find an escape route.
Basically an anti-war film, ’Night Bus’ also explores the situation of protagonists who are not typical warriors and should shoulder a heavy responsibility at the height of war. Isa (Mehrdad Seddiqian),
a teenage Iranian boy should move 37 Iraqi captives to behind the frontlines. He is assisted by an old driver (Khosro Shakibaei) and Emad (Amir Zand) a (soon after) blind young man whose wife (Elnaz Shakerdoust) is going through pangs of labor. On the way, filled with perils, mortar shells, mine fields and a mutiny led by an Iraqi Baathist commander, a humane relationship develops between Farouq (Mohammad Reza Forutan) and Sirvan, two Iraqi soldiers and their Iranian counterparts. They go beyond barbed wires of the imposed war both objectively and symbolically to form a relation based on friendship and mutual respect.
For veteran Iranian filmmaker, Kioumars Pourahmad, known for his films for children and young adults, ’Night Bus’ is essentially a return to an old unimplemented project: “Many years ago, I shelved plans to make a film on the war, but when I read the story of ’Night Bus’ I was motivated to direct it,“ he said.
’Night Bus’ has won several local and international awards at 25th Fajr Film Festival, Hamedan Children and Young Adults Film Festival, Iranian House of Cinema Awards and the recent Asia-Pacific Festival.
It is also to be screened in Iraq in the near future. Apparently, the humanitarian aspect of ’Night Bus’ was the prime reason for the awards, since the film suffers from obvious structural flaws. It is based on a short story which seems incapable of being made into a feature film. In the first quarter of the film, the pace is acceptable and allows the characters to develop. In this process, black and white photography with DV Cam has improved the realistic mood of the film.
However, later the filmmaker tries to condense many events and characters in limited time span mostly through dialogues rather than images. This leads to showiness and cursory approach toward extremely significant events, just to be saved partially by the good performances of the lead actors.
However, the most beautiful and last sequence of the film is an exception which beautifully sums up its anti-war stance and the impacts of a brutal imposed war: when the bus leaves for the last time, the camera tilts down to show the young wife of Emad looking gloomily at it.
Being widowed at a young age with a boy to raise, it seems that the war has both deprived her of her husband and brought about a lonely future for her. This is an impressive conclusion for a film which shuns action and adventures in favor of humane messages.

The closing ceremony of the 23rd Fajr International Music Festival was held on Saturday at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.
According to ISNA, the ceremony was attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi and his deputy for artistic affairs, Mohammad Hossein Imani Khoshkhou.
Speaking at the ceremony, Harandi appreciated the efforts of the festival organizers. He referred to the variety in the current round of the event and said, “Pop music was the indispensable section of the festival.“
Harandi also honored prominent Iranian artists and musicians during the event.
They included Loris Tjeknavorian, composer of the symphony ’Messenger of Love and Hope’, noted composer Majid Entezami and veteran musician Hossein Dehlavi, who all received plaques of honor.
Noted vocalist Shahram Nazeri was also praised by the minister at the event.
Winners of the festival were named in three sections of traditional and fusion, classical and pop music.
The Chamber Orchestra of Bahman Cultural House led by Rasoul Qopani ranked first in the traditional section. A trio on piano led by Tigran Masroubian topped the classical section, while there was no first winner in the pop music category. The bands ’Accent’ led by Behrang Behzad and ’Orkideh’ led by Orkideh Hajivand, came second and third in the pop category.
Meanwhile, Kambiz Roshan-Ravan was appointed secretary of the 24th International Fajr Music Festival.

Head of the Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations Mohammad Khatami said Saturday that today’s world is more in need of the justice as visualized by Imam Ali (AS), the first Imam of the infallible Household of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Speaking at a ceremony to honor Shahram Nazeri, a noted vocalist, on the occasion of Eid Ghadir-e Khom, which marks the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) appointment of Imam Ali (AS) as his successor, he referred to an axiom by Imam Ali (AS): “If you recognize the truth, you will also be able to recognize the advocates of truth“ and said that in a world where despots introduce themselves as the absolute truth, individuals cannot serve as a criterion for distinguishing truth from falsehood.
At the gathering, which was also attended by former culture and Islamic guidance minister, Ahmad Masjed Jamei, Nazeri was awarded a statuette of phoenix--designed by Qodratollah Aqeli--in recognition of his contribution to music both at home and abroad, reported ISNA.
Nazeri also performed several songs based on the poems by Molana Jalaleddin Rumi, well-known Iranian mystic and poet, to the accompaniment of Hadi Montazeri (on the ’Kamancheh’, a traditional string instrument) and Masoud Habibi (on ’Daf’, a traditional percussion instrument).
Masjed Jamei also said that Imam Ali (AS) is the symbol of religion, mysticism and manliness--a model for Iranian champions.
Inspired by Imam Ali (AS), national champions always ranked first not in strength only; rather they were manifestations of loyalty and fairness, he said.
Ezzatollah Entezami, Qotbeddin Sadeqi, Behzad Farahani, Davoud Rashidi, Loris Tjeknavorian and Mohammad Ali Eslami-Nadoushan were also present at the event.

Mohammad Reza Golzar at a special ceremony for children victims of cancer

First round of Ghadir Artistic Award will be held at Imam Ali (AS) Museum of Religious Arts today (December 31).
Named after the Feast of Ghadir which marks the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) appointment of Imam Ali (AS) as his successor, the ceremony will honor leading figures such as Allameh Morteza Asgari (well-known Shiite scholar), Seyyed Jafar Shahidi (noted literary figure), Seyyed Morteza Nojoumi (a prominent scholar from Kermanshah), Davoud Mirbaqeri (director of the TV serial ’Imam Ali’), Ali Mousavi-Garmaroudi (contemporary poet), Farhad Fakhreddini (composer of music for ’Imam Ali’ serial) and Seyyed Mahdi Shojaei (story writer of devotional literature).
Elaborating on the objectives of the event, head of Tehran Municipality’s Cultural-Artistic Organization Ahmad Nourian told ISNA that paying tribute to the elites in the field of religion will surely usher in numerous blessings to the society.
Meanwhile, film star, Mohammad Reza Golzar arranged a special ceremony for children victims of cancer in Iran Cinema on the eve of Ghadir Feast.
The film ’Blessing in Disguise’ was screened during the event.

Concurrent with the Eighth Children and Young Adult Press Festival, the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) is holding three panels of discussion.
The topics for discussion include children’s poetry, literary translation and works of the great Iranian poet and mystic Molana Jalaleddin Rumi, said the institute’s Public Relations Office in a fax to Iran Daily.
The first session, themed ’Poetry Rainbow’, was held on December 30 with a focus on the works of recently deceased poet Qeisar Aminpour.
The second session will be held on Monday in honor of the late Iranian translator and writer Hossein Ebrahimi, who established the Center of Translation for Children.
The final session will be held on Tuesday to consider the role of Molana’s poetry in children’s literature.
The sessions will be held at the Institute’s Center for Cultural and Artistic Creativities.

A sample of artistic designs on ostrich egg

Engraved artwork on the shell of ostrich egg was initiated by Iranians artists and some 50 works in this style have so far been submitted to 50 countries.
According to IRNA, Farhad Bahri, who initiated this style of artwork, said that Technical and Vocational Organization has awarded a seal of standard for the art.
“The art had great value-added and sometimes an ostrich egg with artistic designs on it sells for four million rials,“ he said.
Referring to proposals by Turkey and Saudi Arabia for dispatching people to undergo training in the field in Iran, Bahri said that Saudi Arabia has ordered a significant number of handcrafts made from ostrich egg.
Stating that development of this art is contingent upon promoting ostrich breeding, he added that if the Union of Ostrich Breeders supports the art, it will certainly help job generation and hard currency earnings.
Describing investment and insurance as the main problems for the artists, he also called on the removing obstacles in the way of exporting handicrafts.