Regent sings to the tune of a new ‘Song’

With a third pick up in a row, it appears as if Regent Releasing are emptying out the specialty film sales agent Fortissimo films’ coffers – we can say that they are looking to expand their library beyond GLBT fair and this decision has zero to do with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s warped views. One of the best imports from Iran, Majid Majidi’s cinema might use little known backdrops for people like me, but his shoe-string budgets tackle big world issues. I’ve become very familiar of his work since the late 90’s with his films being crowned at the Montreal World Film Festival, and this year The Song of Sparrows is perhaps in the baker’s dozen of real Foreign Oscar contenders.

Winner of the Berlinale Silver Bear Winner for best actress, this is set in contemporary Tehran, and tells a story set among society’s underprivileged, working class. The film explores how a world of material goods and technology can corrupt man – making him lose spiritual purity and all-important connections to family, friends and nature. Karim (Reza Maryam) leads a simple and contented life with his family on an ostrich farm, until one day when an ostrich in his charge runs away; he’s blamed for the loss and is fired. He travels to the city and is mistaken for a motorcycle taxi driver, thus beginning a new profession, ferrying people and goods through heavy traffic. The people and material goods that he deals with start to transform Karim’s generous and honest nature.

Regent are looking at a Spring 2009 release.