Opening the Reel Sydney Festival of World Cinema on 24 July is Persian film Track 143 by director Narges Abyar. The film is an adaptation of Abyar’s own novel, in which she gives voice to a woman’s perspective of living through war.
Here’s what the Singapore International Film Festival had to say about the film: “Unlike most war genre films, [Track 143] tries to keep politics and propagandist pandering to a minimum. Instead, it simply seeks to tell the story about a mother’s hope for the safe return of her missing son. Solid acting from the talented Merila Zareie, as the weathered yet determined mother, has won praise on the festival circuit. Her powerful performance depicts fortitude amidst the pain of war, grief and loss. Iranian new wave cinema is notable for its string of strong feminist films, and Track 143 is no exception; its central characters are notably strong women, while men play secondary and supporting roles.”
In Sydney, Track 143 screens alongside German short, Torturing by Rebecca Blocher. More info/tickets
