Introduction to the film “Baghe Kianoush”
You won’t regret watching the best teenage film of recent years
A captivating 80s narrative with performances by Shahram Hagighatdoost and Abbas Jamshidifar
According to cinemadrame, the film “Baghe Kianoush,” directed by Reza Kashavarz Haddad and produced by Mohammad Javad Moadd, starring Shahram Hagighatdoost and Abbas Jamshidifar, is one of the productions in the children’s and youth genre that was unveiled at the Fajr Film Festival. In this article, we take a look at the text, background, and critiques of the film.
Summary of the Film “Baghe Kianoush”
The summary of “Bagh Kianoush,” which invites the audience into the mysterious and challenging world of adolescence, reads: “On the day of the wedding in the village, the children hear a strange news: in Bagh Kianoush, trees resembling ‘banana’ have been seen. The children decide to race to get it, unaware that the cursed garden of Kianoush has set a bigger trap for them…”
It is worth noting that the screenplay of “Bagh Kianoush” is adapted from a book of the same name. This book, written by Ali Asghar Ezzatipak, was published for the teenage audience by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.
Cast and Crew of “Baghe Kianoush”
The main contribution to the film’s cast, centered around child and adolescent characters, comes from young actors. Some of these actors can be considered fresh talents in cinema, while others have previous experience in film roles.
The actors in the film include: Shahram Hagighatdoost, Alireza Ara, Majid Pataki, Mahdieh Nasaj, Ladan Zhafevand, Mahdi Farizeh, Ali Dolatyari, Amirhossein Rezaizadeh, with the presence of Abbas Jamshidifar, and teenage actors including: Amirhossein Bayat, Abolfazl Ivani, Danial Jafari, Arghavan Shabani, Amirali Sahraei, Amir Mohammad Sahraei, Ashkan Ardestani, Ronika Bahramzadeh, Abolfazl Hassan Khanpour, and Garsha Namvar Sadegh.
The crew of the film includes:
- Writer and Director: Reza Kashavarz Haddad
- Producer: Mohammad Javad Moadd
- Executive Producer: Mohammad Godarzi
- Director’s Consultant: Hossein Darabi
- Writer’s Consultant: Ehsan Saqafi
- Director of Photography: Morteza Hedayati
- Editor: Siawash Kordjan
- Music: Bamdad Afshar
- Sound Design and Mixing: Ramin Abolsaad
- Makeup Designer: Mahmoud Dehghani
- Set Designer: Babak Karimi Tadi
- Costume Designer: Majid Lilaji
- Production Manager: Mohammad Esmail Kalbi Abadi
- Assistant Director and Planner: Siawash Ramazani
- Sound Recording: Hossein Bashash
- Visual Effects: Mohammad Abdi
- Animation: Milad Mohammadi
- Color Grading and Lighting: Farbod Jalali
- Screenplay Rewriting: Amir Koochakzadeh
- Child Casting Director: Mohammad Rahmanian
- Photographer: Saeed Karimi and Hassan Shojaei
- Advertising Manager: Melika Sadat Rad
- Media Consultant: Zahra Damzabadi
- Public Relations Manager: Sepideh Shariati Rezavi
- Logo Designer: Mohammad Esfandiari
- Poster Designer: Mohammad Shakiba
- Produced by Soreh Film Club and the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.
About the Director
Reza Kashavarz Haddad, who is making his feature film directorial debut, has previously produced several short films, including “Tribune,” “Tamikar,” “Nahartrin,” “Not Scary,” “Accompanying Staff,” “Color Pencils,” “Support,” “Gift,” “It’s the End,” and others, most of which fall within the children’s and youth genre.
A Few Notes About the Film
Reza Kashavarz Haddad’s first directorial experience is an adapted screenplay, and “Bagh Kianoush,” along with the film “Aparatchi,” are among the few films in the festival that are adaptations of a book.
The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, which presented the film “Miro” at the festival two years ago, is also presenting “Bagh Kianoush” this year.
The share of children’s and youth cinema at this year’s Fajr Festival is limited to several works, most of which are animated films.
Awards and Honors for “Baghe Kianoush”
- Reza Kashavarz | Best Technical and Artistic Achievement for a Debut Film | 42nd Fajr Film Festival – 2024
- Mohammad Javad Moadd | Arman Award from Tehran Municipality | 42nd Fajr Film Festival – 2024
- Mohammad Javad Moadd | Golden Butterfly for Best Film | 36th Isfahan International Children and Youth Film Festival – 2025
- Reza Kashavarz Haddad | Golden Butterfly for Best Film Chosen by Teenagers | 36th Isfahan International Children and Youth Film Festival – 2025
- Mohammad Abdi | Golden Butterfly for Best Visual Effects | 36th Isfahan International Children and Youth Film Festival – 2025
Quick Review of “Baghe Kianoush”
Mohammad Taghi Fahim – Veteran Cinema Critic
Solidifying the Genre: “Baghe Kianoush”
The film “Baghe Kianoush,” directed by Reza Kashavarz Haddad, is one of the debut films that has firmly established itself in the genre. Before the screening of this film, few were expecting a noteworthy work, but after its release, most were pleasantly surprised. For years, children’s and youth films have strayed from their core genre, with many filmmakers either using children as a pretext for achieving other goals or employing child characters to convey specific adult themes. Especially in the semi-intellectual currents of cinema, children and adolescents have often been used as tools for political and party agendas, leading to the virtual disappearance of children’s and youth cinema.
In contrast, “Baghe Kianoush” is created entirely for children and adolescents. Despite its global fantasy theme, it is filled with action without violence. It also has a well-structured beginning, middle, and end, maintaining its rhythm and pace until the finale. The film is genuinely cinematic, and the director clearly aimed not for triviality but for creating something suitable and enjoyable for its target age group. Despite all these strengths, the film remains somewhat raw in its components, especially as its characters lack depth, and the performances are rather ordinary.
Sahebe Pooyanmehr – Cinema Critic
“Baghe Kianoush” is a beautiful and memorable story directed by Reza Kashavarz Haddad, telling the tale of a group of teenagers in a village who drive the events forward. It speaks of overcoming fear, cooperation, and supporting each other through crises and hardships. It portrays a boy who learns courage from his father and a man who shirks responsibility in difficult times, carrying the burden of losing his best friend and striving for redemption.
The film has a good character introduction, but the dialogues are long and numerous, as is the story itself. It has a good turning point, but the obstacles and suspense are weak until the middle, after which it improves. The climax is suitable, and the film largely succeeds in presenting two parallel stories. However, the resolution is achieved by the writer. The ending is long but successfully concludes both the main and subplots.
The performances are believable except for a few limited instances. Despite the main characters being teenagers with little experience, they excel in creating the right tone and delivering excellent dialogue. They convey the humor well, have no physical stiffness, and have personalized their roles. The young actor, who strongly resembles Emma Watson, has brought her performance closer to her famous role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, creating a pleasant association. Of course, the excellent performance by Abbas Jamshidifar also adds to the overall effect.
In terms of mise-en-scène, they have appropriately followed the context of the screenplay. The set design makes the rural atmosphere of the story believable, and the costume design is suitable, paying attention to color, beauty, and the social class and time period. The color grading and lighting are well done, and the sound design is clear and synchronized.
The direction succeeds in choosing good shots and frames, paying attention to color, and effectively guiding the actors. However, there was a need for more focus on editing, removing unnecessary scenes, and reviewing the script to address the technical issues in the screenplay. Overall, it is a beautiful work and perfectly suitable for children’s and youth cinema.
(Source: Cinema Etemad)
Loghman Madayen – Cinema Critic
Baghe Kianoush: A Well-Crafted Children’s and Youth Film
“Baghe Kianoush” was filled with beautifully crafted lessons, full of a sense of responsibility and positivity. It portrayed a genius in the style of Stephen Hawking and drew inspiration from everything from “Caron” to “Home Alone.”
The screenplay had weaknesses in the early minutes, with dialogues lacking depth and requiring improvement. It had weak conflict but good suspense. The film had good heroes and villains, but the approach was flawed as it should have focused on the children to create heroes from them. The main plot was suitable, and the subplots were excellent, with ample attention given to them. The transitions were good, and the narrative connection was solid, but it needed to avoid straying from the main line. The visual effects, which entered the battlefield with narration, were all excess and should have been omitted; they were clunky, overly direct, and did not contribute positively. The film’s setups, developments, and resolutions were precise.
The sound design was very clean and clear, with appropriate effects. The music was fluid and well-suited. The editing picked good reaction shots, and the effects were very well crafted, with excellent transitions and a correct arrangement of shots. The color grading and lighting were excellent and commendable.
The mise-en-scène was solid, with the set design perfectly aligning with the film’s rural, social, and local setting. The characters’ minds were well depicted, the costumes were well-designed and positive, and the makeup was both restorative and inventive. We saw great visual aesthetics, with the colors chosen appropriately.
The performances were excellent, and it’s a source of pride to see child actors performing so well. All the actors excelled in delivering lines, facial expressions, and physical flexibility. The veteran actors, Shahram Haghighatdoost, Abbas Jamshidifar, and Majid Pataki, who were the main anchors of the film, also performed excellently.
The director’s choice of camera angles was very good, and he adhered to hypothetical lines. The aerial shots were positive, and the framing was standard, but the script needed more refinement.
(Source: Cinema Etemad)
Film Crew’s Statements at the Fajr Film Festival Press Conference
Reza Kashavarz Haddad | Director:
This film owes a lot to these children, who were selected from over 500 kids. I can confidently say they will be among the top 10 figures in children’s cinema. I remember working on a series script when Mohammad-Javad Mohahed suggested the book “Baghe Kianoush” to me. I felt the story had the potential for a film adaptation. The book’s story is a 1980s tale for teenagers.
We added some imagination to the “Baghe Kianoush” story, and that’s the output you saw in the film. Most books are adaptable. I can say I stayed true to the book, but I can’t specify the percentage. A large portion of imagination was also added to the storyline. I always wanted to collaborate with Milad Mohammadi for the animation section, and after many discussions, we reached this form. As for the film’s length, we shortened it, and in my opinion, the editing was done very well.
Mohammad-Javad Mohahed | Producer:
Watching the film in this hall is both difficult and enjoyable, and I hope our efforts in this film have caught your attention. He also reflected on the creation of the Soura Film Club, which introduced young talents. Last year, we decided to start a feature film, which led us to the book “Bagh Kianoush” and eventually to its film adaptation. Pre-production began, and after a few months, the film was made. These films are specifically for teenagers.
We read the book “Baghe Kianoush” by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in 2017. When we saw the potential of Mr. Kashavarz Haddad, the director, we decided to make the film. “Baghe Kianoush” is the work of a debut director and producer in the realm of feature films, and I must say it was a very challenging project. I want to thank the Art Institute, the Soura Cinema Organization, and the Institute for their support in the production and contribution to the film.
We made a film that many children and teenagers will go to watch, and we could have been in the competition section of the Fajr Film Festival. When we first learned about the New Look section for debut films, we were happy, but then we realized it seemed designed to deprive debut films of their rights. Not only our film but also films like “Bebadan” and “Aparatchi” have been deprived. From this platform, I want to say: don’t let the rights of young filmmakers be trampled.
Milad Mohammadi | Animation Designer and Director:
This project is a creative one, and during its production, we reached three different animation styles, which you can see in the film. “Baghe Kianoush” was an exciting and thrilling experience, with creativity running through the entire film.
Siavash Kordjan | Editor:
“Baghe Kianoush” was a heavy and difficult project. The initial version of the film was 127 minutes long, but for the festival, we had to cut it significantly. The current version was shortened by half an hour. In my opinion, Iranian cinema’s narrative structure doesn’t lend itself to stories that run over 120 minutes, and I believe the rhythm of this film is not slow.
Abbas Jamshidifar | Actor:
One of my concerns is working on children’s and youth films, especially those for teenagers. I’ve done about 800 performances for children and teenagers. Unfortunately, we don’t have any planning for our teenagers. This film is about overcoming fear, and that aspect attracted me, as I also faced fears in my youth, and there was no awareness about this topic at the time. I believe the presentation of this issue in “Baghe Kianoush” is very thought-provoking.
Majid Pataki | Actor:
I have a teenager at home, so I am particularly concerned about this generation. During filming, the weather was very cold, and our young actors worked with great passion in the harsh winter of Hamedan.
Hossein Bashashbafkar | Sound Designer:
Working with children has its own challenges, but fortunately, the kids on this project were so intelligent that we didn’t encounter any problems, and everything went smoothly.
Posters and Photos of “Baghe Kianoush”
