The years which were spent in the laboratories to give life to the old photographs, and the days which were spent behind the camera and the weeks spent filming about the cinema, were part of Akbar Alemi's prolific life.
A university figure who did not allow his activities to be summarized in one way and that is why when he died at the age of 75 due to Covid 19, he left very valuable works in his memory.
"Agrandisman":
Akbar Alemi was born in 1324 in Ahvaz. Two years later, his family travelled to Damghan's father's hometown and settled there. Alemi spent his childhood and adolescence in this city until he left for Tehran.
His interest in cinema led him to earn a master's degree in this field at Tarbiat Modares University.
He studied radio and television at the School of Dramatic Arts. His interest in cinema led him to earn a master's degree in this field at Tarbiat Modares University. But his desire to study did not end until he went to England to study cinema.
Then, Alemi returned to Iran with all the knowledge he had learned and his experiences, so that this time he combined his interest with actions that would benefit Iranian cinema and cinema lovers.
The expression of a universal interest in photography dates back to his adolescence. In the days when his father bought him a small camera so that he could go through his first photographic experiences and make "Agrandisman" with the tools available in the house and pour the emerging materials into the kitchen utensils. These amateur photographs shaped his vision. This interest was not limited to adolescence, and he continued to pursue photography as one of his favourite fields of art. But he was not just a photographer with a unique look.
With his training in photography, he also played an important role in the management of the laboratory, and for some time he was the director of the laboratory of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education and in charge of the laboratories of the Radio and Television Organization.
Making Program for TV:
Alemi was one of the influential figures in IRIB.
He was an artist with the highest qualifications and extensive studies who, relying on his complete knowledge of cinema, was able to provide a suitable platform for professional programming with the subject of cinema.
His first experience in cinema programming was "On the Coin", which aired on IRIB TV1.
The experiences of "On the Coin" led him to the "Seventh Art" program.
Too many testimonies, this program provided the ground for their acquaintance with world cinema.
One of the most important things that made this program popular among different social and age groups was the diversity in the choice of films, and this diversity did not come from anything but a world-wide knowledge of world cinema and that he knew at the table of thought and taste of the audience.
Making Documentary Films:
He then produced the "Cinema Beyond" and "Cinema Adaptation" which followed more specialized views in cinema.
As a result of her universal interest in photography, he had a great interest in documentaries and ended her life with this love.
As a result of her universal interest in photography, he had a great interest in documentaries and ended her life with this love.
Alemi shot numerous documentaries. Among his topics of interest in documentaries were industrial works. He produced documentaries on the wood, textile, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries in Iran.
But his unfinished documentary about Coronavirus is the result of his love that did not leave him for years;
Alemi, who had gone to a hospital in Tehran to make a documentary about the coronavirus, contracted the disease.
Academic Activities and Books:
Due to his academic background, Alemi has always had a strong presence in scientific societies
He was also active in writing and translating books which were mainly about cinema and other arts.
Eventually, Alemi, film critic, documentary filmmaker, and television presenter died on October 13 at the age of 75 due to coronavirus disease.
The 14th edition of the Cinema Vérité, Iran’s major international festival for documentary films, plans to pay tribute to Alami, a COVID-19 victim.
The 14th edition of the Cinema Vérité, Iran’s major international festival for documentary films, plans to pay tribute to Alami, a COVID-19 victim.
The 14th Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as “Cinema Verite” is scheduled to be organized totally online from December 15 to 22 in Tehran.
The Iranian festival has several sections including the National, International, and Martyr Avini Prize, Entrepreneurship Documentary Competition, Corona Virus Special Section, Side Sections, and commemorations.
In the meantime, several expert workshops, master talks as well as masterclasses will be held in this international cinematic event.
The national competition section comprises short, mid-length, and feature-length documentaries.
The international section of this edition will be held in a non-competition format due to the spread of Coronavirus.
The international section of the festival also enjoys numerous non-competition sections such Special Displays, Mirror of a Festival, Portrait, Perspective of One Country Documentary Cinema, Chile Documentary Cinema, Masters of 2020 as well as 13 Editions & 13 Films.
Due to the spread of Coronavirus, this edition of the festival will be held in online and remote format via utilizing the national platform in the country.
According to the director of the festival Mohammad Hamidi-Moqaddam, so far, 894 films have been submitted to the different sections of the event.
FA/PR