Armenian-Iranian film, which was banned in Istanbul

The Iranian-Armenian director Anahit Abadi’s full-length feature film “Eva” tells about a woman who is trying to forget about the dark and hard history of her life years ago. She leaves Yerevan with her daughter, settles in Artsakh, at the acquaintance’s home. But the past persecutes the woman everywhere …

In Armenia, the premiere of the film was held in September last year at the Moscow Cinema. The film was shown at the Montreal Festival, presented at two “Cannes” and “Fajr” film festivals. “Eva” has also been included in the list of applications approved for the 90th Best Foreign Language Film category of the Oscars. Recently, however, it became known that the Turkish authorities banned the screening of the Armenian-Iranian joint film at the “Filmmor” International Women’s Film Festival in Istanbul. Representatives of the film festival noted that the film was banned by the official request of the Azerbaijani authorities for the reason that the film was filmed in the Republic of Artsakh.

On this occasion, we contacted filmmaker Anahit Abad, who talked to us about her dissatisfaction with the incident.

– Of course I’m displeased and amazed at the international festival, to ban the screening of a feature film, an hour before the screening by state order, political interference… It is not acceptable for me. Of course, I will try to take some steps to express my dissatisfaction as this is not just my problem as the director of the film, this phenomenon itself is unacceptable.

“Eva” was filmed with the financial support of the Armenian National Cinema Center and the Film Center Farabi.

Full text in Armenian