Iranian Film ‘Muhammad (PBUH)’ Screened at American Film Institute
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Members of the American Film Institute, including renowned Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, watched “Muhammad, the Messenger of God”, the latest biopic by the Iranian director Majid Majidi, in a special screening.
Following the successful premiere of the acclaimed movie in Iran as well as in Canada’s Montreal World Film Festival and a great reception in both countries, Majidi’s film was screened for the American Film Institute.
The limited screening was organized by the film’s well-known cinematographer Vitorio Storaro, and 135 individuals managed to watch the film.
Among the special guests in the screening session were a number of Hollywood cinematographers and filmmakers including Francis Ford Coppola, the Italian director of the No. 1 film in the history of cinema “Godfather”, who praised Majidi’s film on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Storaro said many of those who had queued up in front of the institute to watch the movie failed to do so because of the limited number of seats.
Earlier in late August, organizers of Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF) considered two more screenings for the film due to strong demand.
Muhammad, the Messenger of God, which is the first part of Iran’s big-budget trilogy on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), premiered in cinemas across Iran on August 26, and attracted a large number of audience.
A number of internationally-acclaimed professionals, including Academy Award winning visual effects supervisor and filmmaker Scott E. Anderson, three-time Oscar-winning Italian director of photography Vittorio Storaro and renowned Croat production designer Milijen Kreka Kljakovic collaborated in making the film.
Academy Award-winning Indian music composer Allah-Rakha Rahman has written music for the movie.
According to the MWFF’s website, the film does not depict Muhammad [PBUH] himself but his world, the pagan age with all its tyranny and oppression as seen through the eyes of young Muhammad [PBUH] from birth to the age of 13.
Majid Majidi is an internationally and critically acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screen writer whose films have touched on many themes and genres and has won many international awards.