Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody have said their new film, Septembers Of Shiraz, is more relevant than ever in today’s political climate.
The pair star as Iranian Jews endangered by the new regime after the fall of the Shah in the big-screen adaptation of Dalia Sofer’s 2007 novel, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
Salma, who plays Farnez, said: “It’s universal because it deals with a family about to lose everything. Besides that, the political climate of today, it’s great to tell the story because many countries are going through or are at risk of going through similar things so I love it treats every single character with respect.”
Adrien, who plays Isaac, added: “I was just so moved by the material. The harsh reality that so many people face, and to be able to tell a story and shed light on that, share some of the humanity and the desperation that exists, it’s interesting and it’s meaningful.
“Unfortunately, I feel we continue to find ourselves in a very volatile situation and we’re witnessing the helplessness of so many people. I think that’s more tangible now, than even when we made the film. Hopefully it helps perpetuate tolerance rather than the way ignorance is perpetuated in society.”
Hanna Weg has adapted Dalia’s book for the film, which is directed by Wayne Blair and co-produced by Scottish actor Gerard Butler.
Salma praised Hanna’s script, saying: “I think it’s a wonderful script, it was written by a magnificent female writer who’s also the producer. There are strong female roles, and how we get through these times of trouble.
She continued: “It’s not so black and white – she’s really tried to humanise every character and see it from a neutral perspective. Social catastrophes are always full of human complications and the film makes an effort to explore them.”
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