"Swimming Lesson" (2023), a short film supported by the "2024 Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program" (hereinafter referred to as the Maritime Guangdong Program),made its world premiere at the Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) on October 20th, 2024. The film was selected for the international competition section of the festival. Director Deng Lianghong attended the festival and shared in an interview with Yangcheng Evening News that it was the most rewarding festival experience he had ever had.
Deng Lianghong, a native of Shenzhen, Guangdong, began studying film at 18 and spent nearly a decade working on films both in China and abroad. "Swimming Lesson" is his first film shot in his hometown, telling a fable about the choices between "leaving" and "staying." The story was inspired by the real-life experiences of the older generation: "I grew up in Shenzhen as a Hakka, and I often heard stories from the older generation about swimming inHong Kong. Swimming was like a ticket that changed their lives. Their unique experiences, combined with my imagination and exploration of the historical context, led me to write a story about a little boy who dreams of swimming to Hong Kong to find his mother."
Deng felt honored that his film was selected for the TISFF and presented to the local audience. "Iran's film standards are very high, and most films follow an artistic direction. There's no complete cinema distribution system here, so for Iranian filmmakers, film festivals are often their main platform," he explained. He described the event as a nationwide celebration in Iran, with approximately 15,000 people attending and over five days of screenings, each one packed with passionate audiences.
According to available data, the TISFF is one of the oldest and most prestigious short film festivals in Iran and the Middle East. It is recognized by the Academy Awards, and its winners are eligible to compete for an Oscar. The festival attracts renowned directors and film professionals from around the world. Notably, the Iranian Youth Cinema Society (IYCS), which organizes the festival, is the largest short film production and training organization globally, with over 80 branches in Iran and support for more than 1,000 short films each year.
Javid Sobhani, head of the international competition section at the TISFF, told Deng that "Swimming Lesson" was selected because it resembled a poem, perfectly matching the festival's artistic tone. After several rounds of selection, it impressed numerous judges. He also plans to recommend the film to other Iranian film festivals, aiming to bring the short film reflectingthe historical and cultural ties between Shenzhen and Hong Kong toa wider Iranian audience.
"We highly value our friendly exchange with China and are excited about the future of Chinese cinema," Sobhani said. "This year, we received more than 2,000 short films from China, surpassing even the number of local Iranian films. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the quality of Chinese short films is improving every year, with increasingly sophisticated production." He expressed hope that, in the future, they would have the opportunity to invite prominent Chinese filmmakers to serve as judges for the TISFF, building a cultural bridge for film exchanges between the two countries. He also hopes that one day Iranian films can be showcased in China.
Source: Lingnan on the Cloud
山海计划短片《游泳课》完成伊朗首映 深港故事打动当地观众
由“向山海走去”青年导演创作扶持计划（简称山海计划）扶持拍摄的短片《游泳课》（2023），作为德黑兰国际短片电影节（TISFF）国际竞赛单元入围作品，于当地时间10月20日在伊朗完成世界首映。该片导演邓亮宏全程参与了该电影节，近日他接受羊城晚报记者采访时表示，这是他去过的所有电影节中收获最大的一个。
来自广东深圳的邓亮宏从18岁开始学电影，之后将近10年时间都在国内外拍片。《游泳课》是他在家乡拍摄的第一部作品，讲述一个关于“闯出去”和“留下来”的寓言。故事灵感来源于其父辈的真实经历：“我是在深圳长大的客家人，小时候听了不少上一辈通过游泳去香港的故事，游泳就是改变他们命运的火车票。他们的独特经历，加上我的想象以及我对历史背景的探求，促成我写了一个小男孩想游泳去香港找妈妈的故事。”
短片能入围德黑兰国际短片电影节并和当地观众见面，邓亮宏感到很荣幸：“伊朗电影水准很高，大多走艺术电影的路线。当地没有完整的院线发行机制，很多时候伊朗电影人的出路就是通过电影节展映。”他将这次电影节形容为伊朗的全国大型盛会，“共有约15000人参加电影节，连续5天的影片放映，场场爆满，观众对电影充满了热情。”
据公开资料显示，德黑兰国际短片电影节是伊朗乃至中东地区最古老和最具有权威性的短片电影节之一，该电影节受奥斯卡奖认证，大奖的获胜者有资格参与奥斯卡奖的角逐，每年吸引来自世界各地的国际知名电影节导演和电影人士参与。值得一提的是，该电影节的主办方伊朗青年电影协会（IYCS）是目前全球最大的短片制作和电影培训组织，在伊朗拥有80多个分支机构，每年支持制作1000多部短片。
德黑兰国际短片电影节国际竞赛单元负责人Javid Sobhani告诉邓亮宏，《游泳课》之所以能入围，是因为它就像一首诗，很符合电影节的调性，经历层层评选都能打动众多评委。他还打算推荐《游泳课》到伊朗其他电影节放映，让更多伊朗观众看到这部来自中国广东的、反映深港历史文化渊源的短片。
“我们非常重视和中国的友好交流，也对中国电影的未来充满期待。今年德黑兰国际短片电影节仅来自中国的短片投递就多达2000多部，这个数字甚至超过了伊朗本土的电影短片数量。我们也很惊喜地发现，中国短片的水平一年比一年更成熟，制作更精良。”Javid Sobhani表示，期待未来有机会邀请中国的知名电影人参与德黑兰国际短片电影节的评审工作，搭建两国电影文化交流的桥梁，也希望有一天能将伊朗的电影送到中国来展映。
文：羊城晚报记者 詹锡伟
译：赵凡
审：林佳岱
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