With five titles in Venice, Iranian cinema continues to paint a world-wide canvas with cinematic hues

Los Angeles, Sep 5 : The constant arrests and impediments of its filmmakers hasnt stopped Iranian cinema from soaring to greater heights.

After the showcase of Iranian cinema at Berlin, Cannes and Karlovy Vary, Venice has five films from the country, two of which are in competition, reports Variety.

Whats more? Leila Hatami, star of Cannes festival jurist Asghar Farhadis A Separation, is a member of Venices main jury panel."We have never received so many submissions from Iran, and many of them are good," says Venice chief Alberto Barbera, quoted by Variety.

He notes that "the paradox is that this is happening at a time when the Iranian regime is among the most rigidly conservative and repressive in the world," and is responding to uprisings sparked by the countrys harsh economic conditions by re-incarcerating directors such as Jafar Panahi, whose latest film "No Bears" launches from Venice, fellow dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, and others "who try to freely express their opposing points of view."According to Variety, Barbera calls Panahis No Bears, which interweaves two parallel stories where the lovers face hidden obstacles, including the force of Iranian superstition and the countrys power dynamics, "his best film in a decade," noting that "its not a political film.Its actually a romance.

"Panahi and Rasoulof in a statement issued at the fest from Tehrans Evin prison said the "hope of creating again" is a "reason for existence." They also underlined that "independent cinema reflects its own times.It draws inspiration from society.And cannot be indifferent to it.""Somehow there is more potential in suffering," says Iranian auteur Vahid Jalilvand, speaking from Tehran, whose third feature Beyond the Wall premieres in competition at Venice.His first two films, Wednesday, May 9 and No Date, No Signature, previously played in the fests Horizons sidebar.aa/uk .