Trench 143
| Track 143 | |
|---|---|
 festival poster of the film | |
| Directed by | Narges Abyar |
| Produced by |
Abuzar Purmohammadi Mohammad-Hossein Qasemi |
| Written by | Narges Abyar |
| Starring | Merila Zarei |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Iran |
| Language | Persian |
Track 143 is a 2014 Iranian war drama movie directed by Narges Abyar. Track 143 is a screen adaptation of Abyar’s novel titled The Third Eye and emphasizes the considerable role of women in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).[1] The movie tells the story about Olfat, a woman waiting for her son who has been missing in Pre-Operation Valfajr in Iran-Iraq War.
The film was submitted to the 32nd Fajr International Film Festival and won the Crystal Simorgh award for Audience Favorite Film.[2]
Title
Track 143 refers to an Iranian trench in Chazabeh (چذابه) region where the dead body of a soldier is found.[3]
Plot
Olfat is raising her children in hardship. She has one daughter and one son called Yonos who works in Kerman copper mine. Olfat used to go to the mine and give some food to her son. One day, she finds a note at home with this massage "My friends and I are going to enter the war as soldiers". After reading this note, Olfat and his friend's parents got worried about their sons. When operation Valfajr failed, they received news about Yonos's friend. Olfat is waiting for her son too. As she finds out that the Iraqi radio announces the Iranian captives' names, she ties a radio on her back and carries it everywhere. After fifteen year, a person calls her and say "My brother and your son are in the same prison in Iraq". Olfat gets happy and cleans the house, decorated the garden and invites some guests but the captive isn't her missing son. That is a mistake and just the name is the similar. After that adventure, she lives as a recluse, but is waiting and hopeful for the return of her son. Eventually the dead body of Yonos is found and his bones are given to Olfat. Iranians call such people martyrs and respect them and their family.[4]
Cast
- Merila Zarei as mother (Olfat)
- Hesam Bigdelooa as Olfat's son
- Gelareh Abbasi as sister
- Mehran Ahmady as friend
- Javad Ezzati as a person who find soldier's body
- Thirty native actors and actresses
Production
Background
This film is a screen adaptation of Abyar’s novel titled The Third Eye with emphasis on the considerable role of women in Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). Abyar selected one of the novel's women and wrote the script. Her goal is to show the difficulties that women, particularly mothers have encountered during the war. The worst was waiting for the return of their sons. Some of them, like Jafar Rezaei's mother ties a radio on her back for fifteen years. Finally this mother, whose name is Akhtar Niyaz poor, received the dead body of her son.[5]
Filming
Track 143 was shot facing many troubles in many places like Sarcheshme (Persian: سرچشمه ) copper mine in Kerman, Sardasht, Khoramshahr, Yazd. Most of the scenes were filmed in Rafsanjan in the moghovie village. This village has a mine and there is no need to go to anywhere far to film in the mine. They have used filming on the hand technique to make filming in the village easy. In this movie, the director imagines thirty years of Olfat's life story and she shows difference at the best. For example, in earlier years, there was not power in village but finally there is. Abyar said: "I colored clothes to look so old".[6]
Critical reception
Reviews
Ebrahim Hatamikia says: "Track 143 is a new description of drama war movies in Iranian cinema. This director admires Merila Zarei for her great acting". Kamal Tabrizi mentions: "In this movie, the pure essence of women is seen. He believes that Iran's cinema needs more of these movies". Akbbar Nabavi says : "Native view of the film is the considerable characteristic of it. This cinema's critic considers Track 143 as an influential film". Shahab Moradi, an academy and seminary lecturer says: "Track 143 illustrates Iran-Iraq war, martyrdom and captivity in the best way and this isn't against the war".Narges Abyar states: "I will continue directing films about the war".[7]
Awards
Abyar's film received both the Crystal Simorgh award for Audience Favorite Film at 2014 Fajr International Film Festival and the event’s Best Actress Award that was presented to the film’s leading role actress Merila Zarei. The movie premiered at Iran's 2014 Fajr International Film Festival and earned rave reviews by critics and audience. Track 143 is also to represent Iranian cinema at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival[2] and Korea's Pusan Film Festival in May and October.[8]
In the news
Makers of Track 143 met Ali Khamenei, Iran's leader and he commented on the film and mainly about the position of martyrs' mothers in Iran.[9] Acclaimed Iranian drama war ‘Track 143’ directed by Narges Abyar has received a purchase order from North America.[1]
The recent news about Track 143 states that during the first 9 days, the amount from the sale of this film has been 200 thousand dollars. The film is screened in 65 theaters around Iran.[10]
References
- 1 2 "North America covets Iran's 'Track 143'". IRNA. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- 1 2 "'Track 143' receives purchase request from North America". Press TV. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ↑ "How to choose the film name by Abyar". Mojahedat. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ↑ "Reviews of the track 143". Saber News. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
- ↑ "Promised to let the track 143 is introduced". Mashregh News. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ↑ "Some where near the track 143, moghovie village". Cinema Press. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ↑ "Track 143 is the cinema's phenomenon". Tabnak News. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ↑ "Track 143 goes to south korea". Tasnim. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ↑ "دیدار رهبر انقلاب با عوامل «شیار ۱۴۳»" [Leader of the Islamic Revolution "Track 143"]. Ghasedak News (in Farsi). Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ↑ staff, writers. "The track was half a billion". Fars news agency. Retrieved 21 November 2014.