An acknowledgment about the producing capacities and creativities of “Mehdi Moniri”- the producer

by Azadeh Pour Gharib

In the name of the God of arbitration and stoic, the God of knowledge, the God of light
Time of the praise …

An acknowledgment about the producing capacities and creativities of “Mehdi Moniri”- the producer,
Beneath the pretext of sequential successes of the film “Papery Dream” directed by Ali Atshani, invested and produced by Mehdi Moniri,
This time, The producer
The film “Papery Dream”, directed by Ali Atshani and produced through the personal budget of Mehdi Moniri, won the best film awards at the Singapore Carnival International Film Festival as well as the French Halloween Festival. As this work reached with great effort out to the world well known festivals, I decided to write a paper about a producer rather than a director whose activity and investment in valuable and various films called “artistic films”, not only has not sunk himself in the body of cinema but also- through the ideology of not asking for any share out of cinema- has not thrown himself into the cavity of vulgar cinema nowadays.
Mehdi Moniri: Concerned Project Manager, Investor and producer of cinema during these days
The film “Dreamy Paper” was shot in the early days of the last summer; its script written by Jaber Ghasemali is based on an idea from Mehdi Moniri. The main roles have been played by Kamran Tafti, Mina Vahid,
Negar Malaki and Amir Hossein Rezazadeh. The film narrates young albino man who, after making friends with two young seduced by them to publicize himself as a presidential candidate!
Meanwhile, those two girls are trying to make a huge profit launching a high-follower Instagram page.
Recent happenings for this artistic product have led me to go
Mehdi Moniri to consider his multiple years of activity in such cinematic genres; hence, in this writing, it is tried to shed light on some of his features and achievements.
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“Mehdi Moniri” is one of the most popular and prominent Iranian filmmakers after the revolution of 1979. He has been the producer of various eminent documentary opuses such as “Sangan White River Pebbles”, “Iranian Plateau, Ancestors’ Paradise” and “Desert’s Ship”, which have made him one of the most significant filmmakers of the brilliant period of Iran’s documentary. His latest production displayed in the public, called “Paradise”, was greeted by cinema audiences. It was similar to his other films which were appreciated at prominent domestic and international film festivals.
Recent years have been coincident with the emergence of new generation of directors and producers. These people are often called the body of cinema activists of the country’s art industry sector. The time of their emergence could be considered one of the most sensitive times of the history of Iran’s cinema. It is at this time that the presence of some content-oriented and sympathetic film producers is highly required. They are needed to produce decent films about the various conditions under which different costs or classes of today community are alive.
Producing the films, which should accurately portray country’s real face for enlightening today’s aware audiences, became more momentous than ever. Opuses with a high quality for being presented overseas would be produced.
In this regard, the announcement of readiness of a limited number of producers like Mehdi Moniri to make films about particular sections of society or unique subjects and events, could be a good news for cinema enthusiasts who knew him for years. He has been always remembered through his memorable works in professional cinema. One of his movies is “Democracy in the Bright Day” based on which audiences were still waiting to see him once again. Mehdi Moniri whose works are unforgettable has been the heyday of documentary as well as feature- length film.
“Papery Dream” is a great opportunity for presenting a worthy cinematic work that- besides the quality of production- would bring an epic of honor for Iranians. What Mehdi Moniri presented was able not only to meet the expectations but also to go further than expectations- it firstly seemed he has gambled with his sum, however.
At first, it is needed to remind the merits of Mehdi Moniri as a sophisticated producer as well as to mention to the eminence of the film “Papery Dream” as an extraordinary cinematic work- the film was written

based on his own idea. The newest work of this energetic and dynamic producer in the field of storytelling cinema- in the technical sections and especially in filming- is a praiseworthy work which has been able to cover the camera frame in indoor and outdoor spaces resulting in creating a fabulous visual experience.
His director’s camera in “Papery Dream” could be considered one of the bests within Iranian cinema during these years; in addition, the digital special effects have also come true so that computer effects’ quality vastly surprises the audience- it is worth to talk about this part of the film. In general, Mehdi Moniri’s achievements, as a producer in the technical parts of this film, are not to be ignored. They cannot be called unspectacular. In my prospective, film’s great and extraordinary potential, which can be watched in its all moments, is in the script as well as the narrative logic of the story. The story which has been written based on his thoughts and striations.
There is no exaggeration if it is said that Mehdi Moniri has been one of the most promising producers within Iran’s cinema during recent years. He is a cinematizing man in whom some streaks of French New Wave’s thoughts are transparently seen. The time when the cinemagoer, ticket in hand, is going to the cinema to watch a movie, is exactly the right moment for a well informed and thoughtful producer to essay providing all the essential elements to meet the cinemagoer’s expectancy in order not to let the audience move on the chair even for a timid minute.
Based on the mercifulness, it ought to be said that if Mehdi Moniri, in person, has been the idea designer and first scriptwriter of a movie, its characterization has perpetually been one of the strengths and turning points. During his activity as a producer, including dozens of documentaries and feature films like as “Democracy in the Bright Day, Commander, Along the City, The First Birth, Papery Dream” and other opuses, this feature has been always figured out in his stories.
Relations between his characters always have a certain feature. As an instance, in the movie “Democracy in the Bright Day”, the character of the father (played by Hamid Farrokh Nejad), as one of the witty commanders returned from the war is taken into consideration so that we know the father’s daughter’s complains to him will induce which meaning to the audience; moreover, we know daughter’s reasonable manner can persuade the audience that the father is supposed to be the undisputed hero through the story. Generally, in the relationship between father and daughter (played by Niusha Zeighami) characters in the movie of

“Democracy in the Bright Day”, which is played by the believable choice of Farkhonejad and Zeighami and their remarkable play, many features are observed which make both characters become memorable.
Last, watching the films produced by “Mehdi Moniri” during last 10 years allow us to say: the emergence of intellectual and highly realistic producers, who endeavor to change the appearance and innate of Iran’s cinema for the sake of providing a credible and dignified image to the audiences, not only is a considerable revolution in the strenuous art of production, but also is a reasonable means to create works in this sector. It makes us face wonderful and exemplary creations day by day.
Azadeh Pour Gharib, Film Critic and Researcher May 2022