ACEH — Langkah ini diambil saat "A Bit of Light" bersiap tayang perdana di kompetisi Venice Film Festival. Salaud Morisset, perusahaan berbasis di Paris dan Berlin, menangani penjualan worldwide film ini.
Sinopsis: Seorang Dokter di Hari Terakhirnya
"A Bit of Light" berlatar Iran kontemporer. Ceritanya mengikuti seorang dokter yang kehilangan kepercayaan pada masa depan setelah ditangkap dan praktik medisnya ditutup.
Ia berniat mengakhiri hidupnya. Sebelum itu, ia menghabiskan satu hari terakhir untuk mengunjungi saudara-saudara dan ibunya, mempersiapkan kepergiannya. Kasih sayang dan perhatian keluarga perlahan membawanya kembali berdialog dengan kenyataan.
Alasan Waititi dan Rae Bergabung
Waititi menyebut kekuatan emosional film ini sebagai alasan utama keterlibatannya. "I was deeply moved by the film's poetry, humanity and emotional power. I was honored to come on board as an executive producer and to support this brilliant film as it makes its way into the world," ujarnya.
Rae menyoroti arti penting kompetisi bagi film-film seperti ini. Menurutnya, masuk kompetisi memberi peluang tayang, terutama di pasar Amerika yang sulit ditembus film independen internasional.
"Being in competition matters enormously for films like these. It gives them a chance to be seen, particularly in the American market, which is so difficult for independent international films to break through," kata Rae.
Ia juga menyinggung risiko yang dihadapi sineas Iran. "These films will never be supported by the regimes they challenge. Their directors face enormous obstacles — and sometimes risk their freedom — simply to tell stories they believe need to be told. Look at Jafar Panahi, who faces court again in two months and the possibility of prison," tambahnya.
Rae menilai pendekatan minimalis Asgari justru jadi kekuatan. "Voices like Ali Asgari's are so important. There is such power in the minimalism and restraint of his filmmaking – intimate, deeply human stories that reveal something far beyond the political contexts we so often expect to hear about from Iran," jelasnya.
Produksi Berpindah ke Istanbul
Milad Khosravi lewat Seven Springs Pictures menjadi lead producer film ini. Produksi lain melibatkan Sunny Independent Pictures, Zoe Films, Good Measure Productions, Haurvatat Film, MeMo Films, dan Salt for Sugar Films.
Khosravi menyebut "A Bit of Light" sebagai kolaborasi fitur keempatnya dengan Asgari, sekaligus yang paling mendesak. Ide film ini sudah lama ada, tetapi situasi politik di Iran membuat mereka memutuskan tak bisa menunggu lebih lama.
"The idea had been with us for years, but after the January uprising and the devastating mass killing that followed, we felt we could no longer wait. We wanted to make a film that confronts one of the darkest moments our country has lived through, while still holding onto the possibility of hope and continuing life," ujar Khosravi.
Proses syuting berjalan berat. Setelah pemberontakan Januari, kontrol di Iran makin ketat. Ketika perang pecah pada Februari, situasi berubah nyaris mustahil.
"Between the attacks and intensified security inside the country, continuing the shoot was no longer viable, and filmmaking across Iran effectively came to a halt. This led us to move the remaining production to Istanbul, where we worked with a very small team and filmed inside homes belonging to Iranians," jelas Khosravi.
Bagi Khosravi, setiap film yang ia dan Asgari garap menuntut cara alternatif untuk membuat sinema independen di bawah tekanan. "A Bit of Light" lahir dari kegigihan yang sama, sekaligus dari momen ketika film ini terasa wajib dibuat.
Kehadiran Waititi dan Rae menambah daya tarik distribusi "A Bit of Light" di pasar global. Nama keduanya memberi sinyal bahwa film Iran tidak lagi hanya bicara soal konteks politik, tetapi juga soal suara sinematik yang layak diperhitungkan di festival bergengsi.
