Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Arienne Mandi in ‘Tatami.’ Photo Courtesy of XYZ Films.
Zar Amir Ebrahimi chatted about co-directing and starring in the sports thriller “Tatami.”
This marks the first feature that was co-directed by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv and Cannes “Best Actress” winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi. It’s the first-ever collaboration of its kind between Iranian and Israeli filmmakers.
It was inspired by the real-life political dilemmas faced by athletes from Islamic Republic. It’s a film about a female Iranian judoka and an Israeli competitor. It’s a talent of freedom vs. oppression set in a judo arena.
Beyond her Cannes-winning performance in “Holy Spider,” Zar is a passionate advocate for women’s rights, recognized by the “BBC’s 100 Women list” in 2022.
Forced to flee Iran in 2008 after being targeted by the regime, Zar is now a French citizen residing in Paris, where she runs her production company Alambic Production, and she continues to make a name for herself in the film industry.
Tackling both roles: actress and director
On tackling both roles (actress and co-director) of “Tatami,” Zar remarked, “It was a great experience and challenging. It is very inspiring to be in both places… in front of the camera and behind the camera.”
“I learned a lot from both sides, and it affects the way I direct my actors. When I play, I can see the directing aspect of it. People are afraid, but it’s a really exciting way of working,” Zar explained.
Working with Arienne Mandi
On working with Arienne Mandi, Zar said, “It was amazing to work with her. Arienne is amazing! She is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met in my life.”
“Arienne is so intelligent, emotional, and patient. It was awesome to work with her,” she added.
Zar on the lessons learned from the ‘Tatami’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, she reflected, “This story, especially this movie and screenplay, is something that is a part of my life. More and more, we need this friendship and peace within ourselves.”
Zar continued, “The whole story between this coach and the judoka, I see how the Iranian regime works, always in the same way… just putting people against each other. You need an imaginary enemy somewhere. We really got into this collaboration, and we were open to it. I believe in these kind of friendships and collaborations.”
“Like you see at the end of the movie, hand in hand, Maryam and Leila can change their destiny. This was something that really inspired me in this movie,” she concluded.
To learn more about Zar Amir Ebrahimi, follow her on Instagram.
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