20th Fajr International Film Festival

Attending Tehran's Fajr Film Festival for the first time, particularly if this is a first visit to Iran is a source of excitement (and anxiety) even for a seasoned festival-goer and foreign traveller. Excited to know more about the film industry of a country that is on the map of every festival, anxious about the visa and the hejab, the head scarf which is obligatory for all women including foreigners, I arrived after midnight at the Tehran airport to a most warm welcome. This friendly but at the same time very professional atmosphere would continue throughout my stay.The festival celebrated its twentieth anniversary (February 1-11, 2002) with sections such as the International Competition (The Son's Room, Brother, Beijing Bicycle, No Man's Land, Slogans, The Pledge to name a few films); Festival of Festivals (Traffic, The Skulls, Donnie Brasco); Special screenings (Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Apocalypse Now, Polish Gems);..