Tehran – The opening ceremony of ECO Film Week was held on Monday, 21 September 2026, at the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI), in the presence of Dr. Raed Faridzadeh, Head of the Cinema Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Mehrdad Rakhshandeh, Executive Director of the ECO Cultural Institute; diplomats and representatives of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Member States; cultural officials, filmmakers, artists, academics and students.
The cultural event also featured the opening of an exhibition of selected film posters from ECO Member States. Continuing throughout the week, the exhibition brings together a selection of the region’s visual cinema heritage, artistic diversity and cinematic memory.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Maryam Shayegan, moderator and programme coordinator, welcomed the guests and described ECO Film Week as an opportunity to watch films and become more closely acquainted with the cultural and artistic diversity of the region. She also referred to the exhibition of selected film posters from ECO Member States and emphasized the role of the event in creating a space for interaction among filmmakers, artists and audiences from across the region.
Cinema as an Opportunity to See One Another’s Cultures
In his remarks, Dr. Mehrdad Rakhshandeh, Executive Director of the ECO Cultural Institute, emphasized the importance of organizing joint cultural events among ECO Member States.
He described ECO Film Week as an opportunity to explore cinematic narratives from across the region and gain a closer understanding of the cultural and artistic diversity of its countries. He also noted that the film poster exhibition serves as a complementary part of the event, offering audiences an opportunity to encounter the visual and artistic dimensions of cinema in ECO Member States alongside the screenings.
Dr. Faridzadeh: Cinema, Before Explaining, Makes Seeing Possible
In the main opening address, Dr. Raed Faridzadeh, Head of the Cinema Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reflected on the capacity of cinema to foster understanding and dialogue among cultures. He began by observing that cinema, before explaining something to its audience, first makes “seeing” possible—and that seeing can be the first step towards understanding.
Referring to the linguistic, historical and geographical differences among nations, Dr. Faridzadeh noted that cinema can make an encounter with the other possible even before translation. An audience member may not understand the language spoken by a character, but can see the character’s face, home and street, and recognize aspects of a human experience that transcend language.
As Dr. Faridzadeh put it, “Cinema, before speaking to us about the other, shows the other to us.” In his view, this characteristic can make cinema one of the most significant means of dialogue among cultures.
He further referred to the historical and cultural commonalities among ECO Member States, noting that the region has, for centuries, been a crossroads for people, ideas and cultures. The traces of these connections can be found in literature, stories, mythology, traditions, music, architecture and historical experiences.
At the same time, Dr. Faridzadeh emphasized that “shared roots never mean sameness.” One of the distinctive features of the ECO region, he noted, lies in the way common origins have given rise to different experiences and perspectives.
From this perspective, cinema brings this diversity vividly before audiences, as every film not only tells a story but also carries with it a particular way of seeing the world.
Six Films; Six Perspectives on Humanity and the World
Dr. Faridzadeh then referred to the films presented during ECO Film Week, noting that audiences would encounter perspectives emerging from different geographies and experiences.
Alongside Iranian cinema and the film “Ziba Sedayam Kon” (Hear Me), directed by Rasoul Sadrameli, the programme features “Looking for Truth” from Tajikistan, “Nayab” from Pakistan, “Meryem” from the Republic of Azerbaijan, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” from Türkiye, and “The Dawn of the Great Steppe” from Kazakhstan.
He emphasized that the significance of these works lies not merely in their similarities or differences, but in the opportunity each film provides to see the world through another person’s eyes.
According to the Head of the Cinema Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a film week can be more than an occasion to speak about the other; it can create a space for seeing and encountering the other. In such an encounter, something familiar may be narrated differently within another culture.
From Cultural Difference to the Shared Experience of Pain
Another part of Dr. Faridzadeh’s remarks focused on one of the most profound shared human experiences: pain.
He described pain as one of the most personal experiences of human beings and, referring to the loss of a loved one—particularly the loss of a child—emphasized the uniqueness and irreparability of such an experience. At the same time, he explained that a tragedy can sometimes allow individual experiences of pain to move beyond personal boundaries and become a collective experience and part of a community’s memory.
In this context, Dr. Faridzadeh referred to what happened to the children of Minab, noting that such losses, while unique to each individual experience, can also become part of a shared human memory and conscience.
Connecting this theme once again to cinema, he observed that cinema can begin with the experience of an individual and, through that person’s face and life, portray an experience that may also be understood by an audience living in another geography and another human context.
As he noted, cinema cannot experience another person’s pain in their place, but it can make it possible to see that pain—and “perhaps this seeing is the beginning of understanding.”
From the Exchange of Films to the Exchange of Perspectives
Dr. Faridzadeh also described cinematic cooperation among ECO Member States as extending beyond the exchange of films. He emphasized its potential to facilitate the exchange of perspectives and experiences and to foster dialogue among filmmakers from across the region.
He expressed hope that such interactions could, in the future, lead to broader forms of cooperation and even to joint film productions among ECO Member States.
Film Posters as Part of Cinematic Visual Memory
The Head of the Cinema Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran also referred to the exhibition of selected film posters from ECO Member States, describing the poster as more than a means of promoting a film.
According to Dr. Faridzadeh, a poster forms part of cinema’s visual memory. It can preserve within a single image a film, an era, an aesthetic perspective and a part of the cinematic history of a society.
He added that bringing these posters together is not merely a presentation of different national cinemas, but also an opportunity to observe different ways of looking at cinema.
Cinema: A Shared Narrative of Different Worlds
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Faridzadeh described the significance of such an event as the possibility of seeing a part of oneself in the mirror of another, recognizing the other within a familiar space, seeing differences without forgetting commonalities, and recognizing commonalities without erasing differences.
He also described “neighbourhood” as something that goes beyond geographical proximity, defining it in terms of allowing images of one another to find their way into the collective memory of nations.
ECO Film Week, featuring films from six ECO Member States, continues from 21 to 24 September 2026 at the ECO Cultural Institute in Tehran. Alongside the film screenings, the exhibition of selected film posters from ECO Member States will remain open to visitors throughout the week.
The programme is being held to provide an opportunity to experience diverse cinematic narratives, strengthen cultural interaction and create a space for dialogue among filmmakers, artists and audiences from across the region.