A press conference for Mehdi Norowzian’s feature film “A Time in Eternity,” produced by Niki Karimi, was held on Friday, 28 November at Honar Shahr Aftab Cineplex in Shiraz as part of the International Competition of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival. The session was attended by actors Navid Pourfaraj and Marjan Ettefaghian, along with screenwriter Sepideh Ghorbani.
Also starring Leila Hatami, Babak Hamidian, Abbas Ghazali, and Bita Farahi, the film follows a woman searching for her missing husband through a poetic narrative that explores loss, memory, and complex family relationships.
At the beginning of the session, Mehdi Norowzian spoke about the film’s core approach, saying: “It is difficult for me to explain the subject of the film directly. From the very beginning, the decision was to enter the mental world of a woman whose engine has been running for seven years, yet she is unable to move. Still, this woman possesses strength and love. What sustained her was holding on to memories; when that love was lost, she became suspended. One of the most important decisions was determining the form in which the film should begin and end, and how to convey Maryam’s inner feelings so that the audience could truly experience them.”
The director added: “I am not trying to defend the film, but what mattered most to me was transferring this woman’s emotions to the audience through imagery and cinematic language. The film addresses several themes and is not solely about Maryam. It adopts a poetic form and perspective, and such a structure requires patience. I do not consider this a flaw; rather, I see other things as shortcomings.”
Actor Navid Pourfaraj also shared his experience, stating: “I was eager to work with Mr. Norowzian, and this project provided that opportunity. I had mostly played relatively positive roles before, but this character was closer to an antagonist, which I found appealing. The director guided the actors exceptionally well. In my view, ‘A Time in Eternity’ is a distinctive and unconventional film.”
Screenwriter Sepideh Ghorbani discussed the film’s narrative world, explaining: “At certain stages of writing, we wanted meaning to be conveyed through images rather than words. Each line of dialogue needed a visual equivalent, which is why we tried to minimize dialogue and use it only where absolutely necessary. The boundary between reality and imagination in ‘A Time in Eternity’ is very thin, and navigating everyday life while entering a more abstract world was risky. We had to move cautiously to cross these boundaries and find visual counterparts for the imagined world.”
Later in the session, actress Leila Hatami joined the discussion via phone call, saying: “I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the festival in person. In this film, I focused on the idea of an emotionally absent mother in relation to her child. She feels a sense of betrayal because her attention is elsewhere. This was a compelling aspect of the character. ‘A Time in Eternity’ is a unique film; we haven’t seen something quite like it before. Although the events feel unconventional, they unfold within a very natural, everyday setting, and achieving this tone was challenging. For me, it was a risk, as I had not experienced this type of role before.”
Concluding the session, Norowzian emphasized: “The theme of this edition of the Fajr International Film Festival is poetic cinema. I hope this focus continues in future editions, as there is already a market for other genres, but films like this need space and support to exist.”
The 43rd Fajr International Film Festival, taking place in Shiraz from November 26 to December 3, 2025, continues to unite filmmakers, critics, and cinema enthusiasts from across the globe through a dynamic program of screenings, panels, and cultural activities.
