My First Film From the San Sebastián International Film Festival

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MOVIE REVIEW
A Tale of Shemroon (Chevalier Noir)
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director(s): Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi
Writer(s): Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi
Cast: Iman Sayad Borhani, Payar Allahyari, Masoumeh Beygi, Behzad Dorani
Where To Watch: Premiering at SSIFF on September 20th

This is my first film review from the 2022 San Sebastián International Film Festival, and what an intriguing start. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend San Sebastián in person; however, I was lucky enough to receive a screener for this and a few other films, thanks to the same firm who sent me screeners for Cannes and Venice.

As you can imagine, it’s quite different when reviewing multiple film releases at one time as every film is unique, but at the same time, each has so many important moments. That’s the incredible thing about festival films. You get to experience these creations before most and, in turn, have an entirely unbiased view of them.

The film was an intriguing watch and one of those rare ones that leave you feeling a sense of genuine awe. A story of struggle and success while also on a journey to figure out what opportunities lay ahead. Premiering in the New Director’s Competition at the festival, it’s an excellent entry point for director/writer Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi who already has some hands-on experience with the festival circuit as their short LOWER HEAVER was shown in Toronto in 2016.

The film pacing kept you on your toes throughout, as you never knew when something would happen. That isn’t a knock on the film in any way, and I found it to be one of the most intriguing aspects of the screening. Throughout the film, you can go from random dialogue to a vital moment that changes everything. It made for a unique experience that kept you more engrossed in the story to ensure you didn’t miss anything.

I’m excited to check out my three remaining films from the festival, although it’s bittersweet at the same time as I don’t know when my following festival opportunities will arise. As we hit the end of September, I’ll be jumping heavily into Oscar season, my first as a “full-time” reviewer.

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