HEART OF SIMORGH

Iran, 2011, 110 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Vahid Nasirian.

The Heart of Simorgh is very Iranian in its presentation of myth, fantasy.

The film is of interest because it is the first major animated film from Iran. It is clearly influenced by western variations on the theme. Technically, it is reminiscent of the video games.

It is 2030, there has been an atomic war. Very few humans have survived, some of them underground in caves. One, the boy hero, gradually emerges from the cave with the aid of a wise mentor. They travel, encounter a whole lot of monsters and devils who come out of the mountains and fight with the young hero.

While the fantasy aspects are familiar from many variations in western animated films, there is an intensity from the Iranian emotional input into the film. However, the action becomes rather tedious for those not engaged in computer game battles and confrontations, the film being very repetitious.

However, the film is of historical interest, showing the developments of the Iranian industry at the beginning of the 21st century.