The workshop titled “From Imagination to Frame,” led by Iranian filmmaker Ahmad Bahrami and co-presented by writer and director Nahid Sedigh, was held on Monday, 1 December at Honar Shahr Aftab Cineplex in Shiraz as part of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival.
At this year’s festival, Bahrami is represented in the non-competitive Festival of Festivals section with his latest feature film, “The Wasteman” (2024), which he wrote and directed. The film follows a middle-aged wagon driver transporting a lifeless body through a silent, seemingly abandoned village. It previously premiered in the main competition of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, where it received the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award.
At the beginning of the workshop, Bahrami emphasized the connection between poetry and place, stating: “The true place of the Fajr International Film Festival is Shiraz, because Shiraz is the city of poetry. In Iran, we all grow up with poetry. From the moment we are born, poetry is read to us so often that it settles into our subconscious.”
He continued by comparing cinematic rhythms, saying: “In Hollywood, shots are often very short, and thought is taken away from the audience. But with a slower rhythm, a film can have a deeper impact. Whether we want it or not, our subconscious is full of poetry, and that inevitably affects our films.”
Referring to his own cinematic influences, Bahrami explained: “I really admire the model of Abbas Kiarostami. When we make a slow-paced, poetic film, we should not think about the mass audience. At the same time, we should not forget that a large part of cinema is an industry, and films also need to function as products that can generate revenue.”
Discussing the writing process of one of his earlier films, “The Wasteland” (2020), Bahrami said: “When I was writing the screenplay, I ended up with 46 scenes. I kept calculating how long each scene should be so that the film wouldn’t turn into a 200-minute project. I reduced each scene to around two minutes.”
Nahid Sedigh, writer and director, also shared her perspective, noting: “I don’t agree with directly equating poetry with poetic cinema. I believe there are no absolute ‘shoulds’ in cinema. Experimental cinema exists, and every major festival dedicates a section to it, which shows its importance. Experimental cinema matters. In every creative field, we need to define our own framework.”
She added: “I love poetry, but I never had the urge to write poems myself. For me, poetic cinema is an emotional release. There has to be a concern, something within you that grows to the point where you feel the need to share it with others. Poetic cinema is one form of emotional expression.”
Returning to the discussion, Bahrami stressed the importance of symbols in his work. “Signs are very important to me,” he said. “In ‘The Wasteland,’ the white sheet that the characters pull over their heads at the end of each scene is a symbol of a burial shroud. The wind that blows through almost every shot is another element that is also very present in poetry. I think young filmmakers should study semiotics for several semesters.”
Bahrami also spoke about the relationship between form and narrative, explaining: “I usually think about form first, because it is primary for me. As soon as I think about an idea, a form comes to my mind. That said, both narrative and form are important to me.”
He warned against overemphasizing symbolism during filmmaking, saying: “It’s a big mistake to insist on symbols while making a film. You shouldn’t constantly think about how poetic a scene should be. One of the reasons even serious audiences sometimes reject certain films is this forced approach. Based on my experience, avoid fixed cameras and static frames. Cinema gains meaning through movement. If there is no movement, cinema turns into a photograph—a single frame that belongs on a wall.”
Sedigh also highlighted the importance of sensitivity in artistic practice. “Artists and filmmakers have a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings,” she said. “Many things that others might overlook appear differently to artists. This heightened awareness and alternative way of seeing are essential. Often, when I encounter people, I imagine what they might be thinking at that moment. These imaginings generate stories. One of the main problems for young filmmakers is a lack of ideas, and this kind of perspective can help generate strong ones.”
She further emphasized the role of storytelling, noting: “Story is very important. Most cinema education is classical, and while there is talk of anti-narrative cinema, I don’t really agree with that term. Screenwriting is crucial. Ideas that come to your mind are often embryonic—they have the potential to grow. It is our lived experience that helps these small ideas develop.”
In closing, Bahrami shared a personal insight into his creative process: “I think visually twenty-four hours a day, even in my dreams. Whatever I want to write or make, I think about it thousands of times and visualize it repeatedly. For example, in ‘The Wasteland,’ I constantly thought about the kiln. I visited the location many times with Ali Bagheri, the actor, and we walked around it together. You have to let a scene become ingrained in your mind. When that happens, filming becomes much easier. Mental imagery and framing are extremely important. You need to imagine people in different situations over and over—how they think, how they walk, and how they exist in that space.”
The 43rd Fajr International Film Festival is currently being held in Shiraz from November 26 to December 3, 2025, featuring film screenings, workshops, and discussions with filmmakers from Iran and around the world.
