“Tehran 2121” to premiere in 2011

“We will premiere the sci-fi comedy animation next year, when we will be able to allocate most Iranian movie theaters for screening the animation,” director Bahram Azimi told the Persian service of the Fars News Agency on Friday.

The animated sci-fi comedy production, which is being produced by the Tehran Municipality, is now in the postproduction stage.

Azimi has used the rotoscoping technique to make “Tehran 2121”. Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films.

“Tehran 2121” is about the past and present of a 160-year-old man. The story of this animation takes place in the year 2121, when robots live alongside people who live for over 160 years due to progress in medical science.

An image of Nader, one of the animation’s characters played by Habib Rezaii, debuted on Friday.

Nader is an antagonist, who sells robots and Gohar Kheirandish stars as his sister Melina.

“We had decided not to unveil the image of any character before the production was completed,” Azimi said.

Bahram Radan, Hedyeh Tehrani, Mehran Modiri, Mahtab Nasirpur, Mohammadreza Sharifinia, and Hesam Navvab-Safavi starred as the main characters in the animation.

Mehrdad Raisi directed the stars in voicing “Tehran 2121”, which was carried out by Raisi’s Association of Young Voice Actors.

Azimi is mostly known for the animated driving commercials he has made for the Iranian police.

Huti and Sia Saketi, the two characters in the commercials, are very popular in Iran.

Photo: Habib Rezaii plays the role of Nader in “Tehran 2121” in this photo taken on October 8, 2010.