Prominent Syrian director Najdat Anzour participates in the opening of Shanghai International Film Festival
The prominent Syrian director Najdat Anzour participated in the opening ceremony of the 25th Shanghai Film Festival which kicked off yesterday.
Anzour’s participation in the ceremony came at the invitation of the Shanghai International Film Festival management and in preparation for screening his film “Blood of the Palm Trees” at the Golden Panda Film Festival due to be held in late September in the Chinese city of Chongqing.
Anzour said in a statement to SANA that participating in international cinematic events would pave the way for strong relations among film festivals, would open many prospects for cultural and cinematic cooperation and would provide an opportunity for filmmakers from all over the world to meet in person and exchange ideas and experiences.
He believes that the participation of his film “the Blood of the Palm Trees” in the official competition of the Golden Panda Festival is an important opportunity to explain to the world, through the language of cinema, how the Syrians bravely faced all the injustice, violations, theft and terrorism they were exposed to with great sacrifices and heroism.
The story of the “Blood of the Palm Trees” film, produced by the National Film Organization, sheds light on the last days of the life of the chief Syrian archaeologist Khaled Al-Asaad, Director of Palmyra Antiquities, who confronted “ISIS” terrorists and refused to hand them maps of the archaeological sites in the city. The spirit of Queen Zenobia accompanies Al-Asaad throughout the film, which gave it a special aesthetic.
The film also highlights life in the ancient city of Palmyra, which suffered from the scourge of war and destruction committed by “ISIS” terrorists who stole the cities’ antiquities and destroyed what they were unable to steal. It also talks about the sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army in order to purify the city from terrorism and its supporters.
It is noteworthy that the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival is held between June 9th and 18th and its program contains screening 53 films including feature films, animations, documentaries and short films from many countries, including Russia, Belgium, Britain, India, Spain, Italy, Iran, Japan and the host country China.
Rawaa Ghanam