Italian-French-British Actor
Andrea Dolente
By Azad Karimi
The atmosphere of the Ukraine war has saddened us all, and today I decided to dedicate the introduction of this interview to issues related to cinema.
Interview
Italian-French-British Actor
Andrea Dolente
By Azad Karimi
The atmosphere of the Ukraine war has saddened us all, and today I decided to dedicate the introduction of this interview to issues related to cinema.
Azadeh Masihzadeh, a documentary filmmaker who accused Asghar Farhadi of plagiarism in the film "Hero," announced on Monday (April 5th) that a "summons for trial" had been issued against the famous director.
Earlier on April 2, Somayeh Malekian a reporter for ABC News reported on Farhadi's complaint against Masihzadeh, but today news agencies in Iran reported that the Iranian judiciary had issued a court order for Mr. Farhadi's trial.
ABC News wrote: A former student of two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has filed a lawsuit against Farhadi accusing him of plagiarism.
The case was filed by former student, Azadeh Masihzadeh.
Based on Iranian penal law, Masihzadeh could face 74 lashes or up to two years in prison if she loses the case.
Farhadi is a renowned filmmaker with a long list of prestigious awards including two Oscars for "A Separation" in 2012 and "The Salesman" in 2017.
The lawsuit accuses him of stealing the idea for his latest film, "A Hero," which won the Jury Grand Prix in 2021's Cannes Film Festival but did not make its way to the Academy's shortlist this year.
Farhadi rejects the allegation and has countersued for defamation. He has claimed he came up with the idea for the film before he met Masihzadeh.
It is interesting that a few days ago, the administrators of the Qelam website organized the technical shape of this website and republished a letter from me to Asghar Farhadi. I published this open letter in 2016. I was surprised when I heard the news about him and Ms. Masihzadeh, although the issue of the dispute between the two artists started last year and I was not aware of the dispute.
But another cinematic news item is related to the complaints of Iranian women filmmakers about the morally abnormal situation of the Iranian cinema, where sexual harassment against women is widespread.
This news is very controversial and exploded like a bomb in the culturally conservative and censored atmosphere of Iran.
It was interesting to me that women filmmakers in Iran finally broke the silence. This was a rare move in Iranian cinema, although fifty years ago, an Iranian actress named Azar Shiva, at the height of her fame and popularity in 1970, protested against the polluted atmosphere of Iranian cinema. She as a sign of opposition to this corruption, started selling chewing gum in front of the National University of Iran in Tehran.
Another piece of news was about the beating of the host of the Oscar ceremony.
Will Smith hits presenter Chris Rock onstage after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during the 94th Oscars in Hollywood, Calif on March 27, 2022.
When Smith returned to his seat, he shouted twice, using an expletive, for Rock to leave Pinkett Smith alone. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia and Rock joked about her bald head.
Anyway, cinema is an amazing and interesting phenomenon and it has a lot of margins in the world, and as a cinema lover, I wish success to my dear artists. Cinema is a lovely love ... I think so ...
I support the women of Iranian cinema who broke their silence and protested against sexual abuse because I respect human dignity and the dignity of women artists and I believe in equal rights for men and women ... I am a man and I enjoy being a man, but I enjoy the fact that there are women in our world and they are like and unlike us, of course, our gender role is different in creating the human race, but we can manage the world together.
I would like to dedicate a beautiful Kurdish song to Iranian and American women filmmakers and other female artists around the world. This song is in the voice of Ms.Kijaan Ibrahim. Her father, Ibrahim Khayat, was one of the most famous singers in Kurdistan. My father had befriended Mr. Ibrahim Khayat during the Iraqi Kurdistan Revolution in 1991. I went to Slemani city(Sulaimaniyah) secretly in 2005, my father told me to go to visit Mr. Ibrahim Khayat. Unfortunately, due to special circumstances, I could not follow my father's orders, when I returned to Iran a few days later I heard that he had died and I was very ashamed.
So, from Norway, I pay my respects to the family of the great Kurdish artist Ibrahim Khayat.
In this clip, you see the famous harp player Ms.Tara Jaaf with cello player Ms.Aawder Mihemed ... They introduce a part of their society to others with Kurdish clothes and traditional training but a modern approach. This is very high, beautiful, and worthy ... Why should there be men who hate the presence of women in society? Why should women be a means of entertainment and a sign of vulgarity for them? To be honest, Muslim mullahs are the main culprit in this disrespect to women. Therefore, Muslim mullahs should be removed from the scene of society, because they are the cause of division and hatred in society. Mullahs are the heroes of secrecy and vulgarity. They live in an underground world and their vulgarity must return to their hidden world because our world is a world of light, freedom, love, and transparency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ4PLw2bKLk
Finally, I wish my dear admirable friend Andrea all the best. God bless Italy, France and The UK!
Thank you!
Østland- Norway
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?Please present yourself
.My name is Andrea Dolente, an Italian actor raised between Paris and London.
? What is your artistic specialty
.I am primarily an actor, on camera as well as on stage. I've also been teaching aspiring actors, and coaching professionals for the past 3 years. Teaching, for me, is a way to stay in constant research of a deeper craft.
? When and how did you become interested in this field of art
.I first encountered acting when I was 15 years old. A friend of mine at the time took me to this acting class he was attending on weekends.
? Who was your motivator.
.I think "Attention" was the first hook... an opportunity for an insecure kid to be seen, and potentially admired. It was only later that I recognized it as an actual profession and embraced its social function.
? What was your parent’s reaction.
.They were both encouraging, even though somewhat worried... Understandably.
? When did you become a professional actor.
.If we're talking about getting paid for acting work, hence maybe being considered by peers as a "professional", I started getting jobs in theatre in my early 20s and screen work in my early 30s. But I regard "professionalism" more as a behavior, the result of a vocation which you don't choose. So I'd say I started considering myself as a professional actor when I began seeing Acting as a place where I could socially serve well. In my case, this feeling came pretty recently and has only been deepening since.
? Are you thankful and happy because of your activities as an actor-
.Yes, I think it's the biggest privilege.. to be able to live off your passions. Although dreams of glory and fortune can be real killjoys, managing to keep your feet on the ground and your gaze on your quest becomes a sport in itself and an additional source of joy.
? Why do some actors become immortal.
.I'm not sure. I guess some of them are just so good you can't catch them acting. It's so impressive to see someone master the art, every single human being tries to be good at since its birth. Shakespeare says it well: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts..." But celebrity is a fascinating and absurd social phenomenon. I've always been impressed by the mix of gratitude and embarrassment actors seem to exude when receiving any kind of wide recognition... I guess people need to create gods.
? Why do some performances become immortal...
.Well, back to the finest practitioners of this craft, I think a fine piece of work can never be achieved individually in this industry. No actor can perform "magically" without an accordingly good script, direction, partner, editing, and photography in the case of screen acting... I'd bet any Oscar recipient knows this too well. Also, I love what Viola Davis says about fine acting, that it's a “shot of truth” for the audience. I guess Truth is memorable.
? What is your prediction about art, acting, and culture.
.I don't think I have a prediction. I'm certainly sad to see most of the screen-work migrate to small screens, mass-production being encouraged and content-quality rarefied in the process. I'm worried about the social appetite for virtual reality, and how it might damage our art. But I think and hope that people will always need beauty, and demand it.
? Can you become part of the cultural movement for motivation in youth or new generations in your country.
.I work at it every week. I teach as much as I can when I'm not on set or stage. I profoundly believe in the transmission and continuous research of better values. And it makes me happy.
? How can you help our world become a better place.
.I can only presume to better myself, and meanwhile do as little harm to others as possible. That's plenty of work already...
? Have you more words to say or suggest for our readers.
.Yes, please demand Truth. It gives us work.
