Author: Bijan Tehrani

Budrus follows Palestinian community organizer Ayed Morrar as he unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. “Budrus” chronicles this movement from its infancy and shines a light on people who choose nonviolence. This film has received some great political press.Here is CWB’s interview with Julia Bacha, director of BudrusBijan Tehrani: How did you come up with the idea of making Budrus?Julia Bacha: I have been working with an organization called Just Vision for seven years now, and we’ve been researching and…

Autumn Gold tells the life-affirming stories of five senior athletes who all have one goal: to take part in the track and field section of the World Masters Championships 2009 in Finland. The biggest challenge they face is their age: all five athletes are between 82 and 100 years old. Jan Tenhaven is a freelance writer and director for German public television and a lecturer at the Electronic Media School in Potsdam-Babelsberg. He started his journalistic career as a reporter and free-lance writer for the daily newspaper WAZ and the weekly paper DIE ZEIT, as well as on the editorial…

Reconciliation: Mandela’s Miracle is an 88 minute HD documentary by Michael Henry Wilson. Once considered a “terrorist,” Nelson Mandela saved his country from bloody civil war and dismantled the system of apartheid through the spirit of reconciliation.In this 88 minute documentary, witnesses give dramatic testimonials along with potent archival footage. Clint Eastwood, one of the film’s interviewees, sums it up simply: “The world needs people like him.”www.reconciliation-mandelasmiracle.comBijan Tehrani: What inspired you to make Reconciliation: Mandela’s Miracle? There are quite a few interesting figures and celebrities appearing in your film, please tell us about them and the value they add to…

When We Leave, Germany’s Oscar Selection for 2011, is the story of German-born Umay who flees from her oppressive marriage in Istanbul, taking her young son Cem with her. She hopes to find a better life with her family in Berlin, but her unexpected arrival creates intense conflict. Her family is trapped in their conventions. They are torn between their love for her and the traditional values of their community. Ultimately, they decide to return Cem to his father in Turkey. To keep her son, Umay is forced to move again. She finds the inner strength to build a new…

Stu Plus Who? is the story of a young filmmaker crashed Emmy and Globes parties with borrowed Emmy in hand providing entry to find a lady to join him in trip to Jamaica won on TV game show. Stuart Acher, director of Stu Plus Who?, directs commercials for clients such as Phillips, UGO, and his most notable spot “Super Absorbant,” starring supermodel Shalom Harlow. Stuart has also helmed music videos for the band “Powder” that was recently picked up on MTV, marking the first spec music video in history to air on the network. The video was also recently voted…

The 16th edition of Recent Spanish Cinema series will run at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles from October, 14th to October 17th. To learn more about this interesting screening series we talked to Elvi Cano, the Communications Director EGEDA US and Soledad González, Marketing Director EGEDA US. EGEDA is a non-profit association and collecting society that provides services to producers and the audiovisual industry as a whole. EGEDA US was set up in Los Angeles in 2007 with the idea of having a permanent office on the US West Coast. Elvi Cano moved from Spain to Los Angeles almost…

Last week we had the opportunity to interview Annette Rupp, director of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles about the German Currents screenings.Annette Rupp was born in Hessen. She studied German Literature and Philosophy in Muenster and Berlin, followed by additional studies of cultural management. At the same time, she became an accomplished musician on the organ and trumpet. Her professional career took her to the University of the Arts in Berlin, where she taught project management. From 1998 to 2005, she produced 30 Documentaries and directed audiobooks for Ventana Film- und TV Produktionsfirma. From 2005 to 2009 she worked at the…

The Los Angeles Irish Film Festival is a non-competitive film festival about celebrating the Irish love for story-telling and their deep rooted love for the tellers of tales. The 2010 edition runs Thursday, September 30 through Sunday, October 3, 2010. The 2010 Los Angeles Irish Film Festival is co-presented by The American Cinematheque. The Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland are partners of LAIFF. ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America) is a founding sponsor. The Irish Film Institute is a premier sponsor.CWB editor, Bijan Tehrani had the opportunity of interviewing Lisa Mclaughlin about 2010 festival.Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us…

Heartbreaker is the story of charming, funny and effortlessly cool, Alex (Duris), a professional heartbreaker who for a fee can turn any husband, fiancé or boyfriend into an ex. Alex has one ironclad rule: He only breaks up couples where the woman is unhappy. His latest job will put that rule to the test. The target is Juliette, a beautiful heiress who is set to marry the man of her dreams. With ten days until the wedding, Alex has been hired by her father to carry out his most daring seduction yet that risks him being caught by his ruthless…

Fausta suffers from “the milk of sorrow”, an illness transmitted through mother’s milk by women who have been violated or mistreated during the war of terrorism in Peru. The war has ended, but Fausta’s life is a reminder of it because “the illness of fear” stole her soul. Now, her mother’s sudden death forces her to confront her fears and the secret that is hidden inside of her: she has inserted a potato into her vagina to serve as a protective shield that repels disgusting intruders. THE MILK OF SORROW is the story of a search for re-awakening, a journey…