Publish Date: 30 May 2003 - 19:33

TEHRAN -- Japanese newspaper Mainichi said on Thursday that though Iran is seen as a distant country by the Japanese people, yet they feel a deep connection and respect to its cinema and culture, and this bridges the cultural gap between the two nations.

The daily noted that this is not just because of the Iranian film imports but also because of the joint productions by the two states that has brought them even closer. The newspaper named Carpet of the Wind as an example.

Starring Iranian and Japanese actors, the movie is currently on the screen of Cine Switch Cinema in Ginza, Tokyo. Director of the film Kamal Tabrizi said that his goal was to create a film that makes both Japanese and Iranian audiences feel similarly.

He added that both countries are fast moving toward the future and technology has created such a huge gap between human relations. The movie simply asks the audiences to slow down and fill the gap in between, paying more attention to such relations.