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On the afternoon of June 20, the Iranian film THE WASTEMAN, which has been nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival, held a cast and crew meet-and-greet. Director Ahmad Bahrami, producer Mohammad Hosseinkhani, lead actor Ali Bagheri, art director Nahid Sedigh, and cinematographer Masoud Amini Tirani gathered to share the story of creation behind the film.
Minimalist artistic style of the film
THE WASTEMAN tells the story of a middle-aged man in a remote Iranian village who decides to end his life. As the final chapter of Iranian director Ahmad Bahrami’s “Waste Trilogy”, this work continues the previous films’ use of long takes, black-and-white cinematography, and themes of struggle. In THE WASTELAND, a man facing imminent unemployment fights for his rights, while in THE WASTETOWN, a woman imprisoned for killing her husband fights for custody rights. In THE WASTEMAN, the lonely man sets fire to the village, with his failed suicide attempt offering a poignant footnote to this minimalist cinematic fable.
Ahmad Bahrami views the film not as offering an open-ended conclusion but as intricately linked to and complementing its predecessors. Originally conceived as three shorts within one film, he found during filming that each segment stood strongly on its own. Regarding the choice of characters, Bahrami noted that many classic films select protagonists who defy societal norms, aiming to break tradition and achieve “higher artistic standards”.
Actor Ali Bagheri, Director Bahrami’s recurring lead actor, sees his role in the film as “the best tool to convey cinematic effects”. With no dialogue, Bagheri focused intensely on facial expressions, body language, and interaction with the environment during filming. “Although challenging, this approach provided ample creative space to explore my potential,” he commented.
Art director Nahid Sedigh emphasized the film’s strong connection to its predecessors, continually enhancing their artistic vision in creation. “Being a black-and-white film, we meticulously aligned costumes and set designs to match its technical and stylistic nuances.”
Photography in service of the actors
Producer Mohammad Hosseinkhani highlighted three critical factors in their collaboration. Firstly, there was a shared pursuit of artistic excellence and unified vision for the film’s presentation between himself and the director Ahmad Bahrami. Secondly, lead actor Ali Bagheri’s captivating appearance and unique performance skills breathed infinite life into his character. Lastly, cinematographer Masoud Amini Tirani offered unique and delicate handling of the camera lens.
Masoud Amini Tirani, serving as the film’s director of photography for the third time with Bahrami, employed extensive long and moving shots, alongside black-and-white effects and dialogue-free sequences, to depict the lonely man’s life in a backward village authentically. He prioritized natural lighting during shooting to authentically portray and shape the characters. “Photography should serve the performers, enhancing their role without imposing unnecessary restrictions,” he affirmed.
“We decided on a 4:3 aspect ratio and black-and-white filming style during our initial team discussions,” Ahmad Bahrami explained. He believes this approach allows audiences to gain more information from the film, particularly enhancing the capture of performers’ movements. Masoud Amini Tirani echoed this idea, emphasizing how this visual format directs audience focus to the performers, minimizing visual distractions from the surrounding environment.