Doc satirizing relationships between Chavez, Ahmadinejad and Bush

“The Alphabet of Politics”, a controversial documentary satirizing relationships between former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former U.S. president George Bush, was screened during the first day of the Cinéma Vérité festival on Tuesday.
Iranian filmmaker Mohammadreza Akbari directed the documentary in 2008, but the Iranian cultural officials refused to authorize the release of the film.

“This film is about Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Bush through the language of satire,” Akbari told the Persian service of ILNA on Monday.

“This film was banned for five years, but the Iran Cinema Organization allowed the documentary to have a screening only at the Cinéma Vérité festival,” he added.

However, “The Alphabet of Politics” was allowed to premiere at the Avini Documentary Film Festival in 2009 and won the Audience Favorite Film Award.

“Today, fortunately, a new arena has opened for screening such films in Iran under the new administration,” Akbari stated.

The 7th edition of Cinéma Vérité, which is Iran’s most important international festival for documentary films, opened on Tuesday and will continue until December 17.

The festival is held annually by the Experimental and Documentary Film Center, which is affiliated with the Iran Cinema Organization.