By Darius KADIVAR

Movie Critic Icon and Screen Writer Jean Claude Carričre Lectures at Iran's House of Cinema

FEMIS Founder Jean Claude Carričre, delivers Master Class on screenwriting at the Tehran House of Cinema. ©Femis & Imdb

Payvand.com - Jean Claude Carričre, is certainly one of the most prolific and respected screenwriters in contemporary Cinema. He is also the founder of France's most prestigious film school: La FEMIS. He is married to Iranian author Nahal Tajadod and is a great connoisseur of Iranian films and literature particularly poetry. He is certainly one of the major personalities in the West who has worked deeply in bridging the Orient at Large particularly Iran and India with the West. He was in Iran recently to deliver lectures and MasterClass' at the Iranian House of Cinema in presence of professionals and avid film students.

"Iran is a country full of secrets and mysteries and that is why it has powerful cinema," French actor and screenwriter Jean-Claude Carričre said in Tehran on Tuesday. He made the remarks during a lecture he delivered during a session with Iranian cinematic figures held at Iran's House of Cinema on January 1.

The French cineaste praised the Iranian cinema industry, saying it is currently producing some of the world's best films.

Carričre said he is very happy to be able to visit Iran, adding, "When I am in the House of Cinema, it is as if I am in my own house and everything looks familiar to me."

He described himself as an author of books, screenplays, and plays who has always been interested in discovering new methods of writing.

Carričre has worked as the principal of a French film school, written books on films and screenwriting, and hosted a debate program on French television.

Historical photoshoot ©imdb

He said that he believes a screenwriter is not a novelist but rather a member of the crew, since cinema has its own language and a screenwriter must know the language.

Commenting on his screenplay adaptations of some of the world's major literary works, he stated, "Some of the literary works have the potential to be turned into a film, and in writing a screenplay I only think of the movie not the literary work, because if I keep referring back to the literary work, I will not be able to create a screenplay, rather, it will turn into an illustrated book."

Carriere's latest screenplay was for director Milos Forman ( Amadeus)  Goya's Ghosts ( starring the sensuous Nathalie Portman and Javier Bardem). Carričre was to first draft the screen play for Amadeus but ultimately worked with Forman on a less successful Valmont. ©imdb & photocomposition DK

Carričre also mentioned his joint project with Peter Brook entitled "The Conference of the Birds" and said that the play was written based on Attar's "Mantiq at-Tayr", adding, "The symbolic language of Attar compelled us to perform it in the form of a play, and it was very difficult to make the cinematic version."

He went on to say that a good play is not predictable, adding, "As Chekhov believes, one should never ask a character to define himself but should put him in a position in which he can define himself."

In conclusion, he said, "Every time I come to Iran I feel that I am in a country where the unseen is more important than what is seen. There are always many hidden things in a film which are as important as its other major elements. Many beautiful films have been made in Iran over the past 30 years, and I have nothing new to teach Iranian cinema."

Carričre is married to Iranian author
(also Rumi Scholar), Nahal Tajadod
©JCLattčs & Nahal Tajadod

House of Cinema Managing Director Reza Mirkarimi also gave a short speech at the session in which he said, "We share a common interest in cinema with Carričre. He is very attracted to the art and culture of the Middle East, especially Iran's, and has created works based on the works of Iran's great masters of literature and poetry. This can be an effective method of cooperation."

Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Alireza Raiisian, Mohammad Shirvani, Mojtaba Raei, and other Iranian filmmakers  also participated in the session. ©imdb & photocomposition DK

VIVE LE CINEMA!

&

ZENDEBAD CINEMA ! ;0)

Authors Notes: 

Official Website of LA FEMIS:

http://www.lafemis.fr/
 

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About the Author: Darius KADIVAR is a Freelance Journalist, Film Historian, and Media Consultant. He is also contributes to OCPC Magazine in LA/US and to the London Based IC Publications The Middle East Magazine and Persian Heritage Magazine.

... Payvand News - 05/13/08 ...