NEW HORIZONS
SPOTLIGHT: SHIRIN NESHAT
One of the greatest moments throughout the course of New Horizons is this year's presentation of Iranian director Shirin Neshat. In the framework of her press conference today, the Director of New Horizons, Dimitri Eipides welcomed and thanked the director for attending the festival on account of the tribute to her work in the New Horizons section. "This is the culmination of an effort that took many years. I consider myself very lucky having secured all of her films as well as her attendance. Thus, we will be able to have a comprehensive retrospective of Shirin Neshat who cancelled her affairs in Zurich, Paris and other places to attend our festival", said Mr. Eipides.

Combining poetic and political elements
Shirin Neshat explained the fusion of artistic and political voicing in her work: "My work is deeply rooted in the daily actualities and the social changes in my country Iran, and my themes are centred around my nation's vital topics. In a deeper level, my work is characterised by a strong personal trait, a poetic universal element. You can't separate the political and poetic elements. Politics are intertwined with the poetry of everyday life. These two elements clash and complement each other throughout all of my work".

Women in Islam
Regarding her work, the Iranian director said: "My work focuses on women in Islam. I believe that by studying the women's situation and the contrast between men and women, one can achieve an interesting cultural understanding of Islam society. I'm also interested in feminism in Islam. Women in Islam are unpredictable, rebellious and compelling figures. My work attempts to expunge the stereotype of women in Islam because everything we hear about them is far from the truth".
Referring to the technical elements of her work, which incorporate film, video and photography, the renowned director said: "It's not necessary to be totally devoted to a particular medium. Mediums exist to express ideas and not the other way around. Currently I'm experimenting with the fusion of cinema and the visual arts. I feel comfortable going from one medium to another and I'm not obsessed or a romantic with any of the mediums". She continued by explaining the importance of imagery in her work. "I believe that you can tell a story exclusively with the use of images and no speech. I feel comfortable being able to make films using images and minimal speech. I'm attracted to this element of cinematography. The audience in a cinema is in a very delicate situation both physically and psychologically; it isn't passive. I want to overcome this passiveness and for the audience to feel as a part of the film".

The significance of music
"For me, music can replace dialogue. When I used dialogues in one or two of my films I used them as music, or at least that was my intention. It was something like an opera. The meaning of the film is depicted through the imagery. The music pronounces the topic, the emotional part of the film, and turns the political aspect into art. Considering the Iranian language and the fact that my films deal with Islam and Iran, music makes the films universal and more comprehensible. Music surpasses cultural differences and this interests me greatly".
Shirin Neshat spoke about being able to maintain her Iranian viewpoint while being a resident of New York for many years now. She doesn't believe that she can lose it despite living far from her homeland. "I'm an artist in exile. On the one hand this is sad but on other it is a rich experience to live between two different cultures. Moreover, my work is a hybrid product constituting a bridge between two worlds and I'm content with this intermediary role".

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