A Story from the Hidden Corners of Bodybuilding

A documentary that traces the journey from Iran to America, from the championship podium to the controversial side stories of Mr. Olympia, and asks: “Is standing on the podium worth the price of lost humanity?”

Mehdi Ilmenia has gone to the most hidden corners of bodybuilding with "Aan Sou Seko"; A documentary that narrates from Iran to America, from the championship platform to the controversial sidelines of Mr. Olympia and asks: "Is the honor on the platform worth the loss of humanity?"

Mehdi Elmaniya - writer, producer and director is currently in the middle of producing the documentary film "Aan Suy Sekou"; A work that he says will provide an unvarnished picture of the world of bodybuilding, bodybuilding and behind the scenes of the Mr. Olympia competitions. According to its director, this documentary, which is shot in four countries: Iran, Turkey, Canada, and America, is not just a sports film, but a story about the "distance between honor on the platform and human values."

In a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, referring to the idea of forming this project, Ilmenia said: The subject of bodybuilding and bodybuilding is usually seen in the media with a superficial look at the appearance and shape of the body. But what was attractive to me was behind the scenes of this sport; That is, physical health, the hard path to becoming a champion, the role of daily sports knowledge, and most importantly, the ethics and character of a warrior in professional sports. "Beyond the Platform" is an attempt to address these unseen layers.

From Iran to Mr. Olympia; A challenging journey

Referring to the main axis of the film's narration, this movie director added: The main axis of this documentary is Shahram Nikbakht; A hero who has dedicated his years of activity to bodybuilding and body building and in the path of training and training athletes, he pursues the achievement of championship along with physical health, up-to-date knowledge and science of sports and human character development. In fact, he is not just a hero; He is a coach and role model for the new generation of athletes, and this feature made him the center of our story.

Ilmenia further said about the part of the narrative of the film that takes place in the United States: In a part of the narrative, Shahram Nikbakht, with the aim of gaining experience from the prominent figures of bodybuilding in the world and transferring what they have learned to the athletes and enthusiasts of this field, is going to the United States of America to have a close conversation with the elders of this sport during the Mr. Olympia competition and to benefit from their experiences to improve sports knowledge and train the new generation of athletes.

He added: However, participating in Mr. Olympia and facing the conditions and margins of these competitions, the path of narration faces new challenges and questions; Questions about the true concept of championship, the relationship of professional sports, the place of health and the distance between honor on the podium and human values. Through this trip, we are trying to present an image beyond competitions and medals and address the importance of responsibility, philanthropy and heroic spirit in sports.

Famous faces and production in four countries

The director of "Aansoy Sekou" also said about the faces in the project: In this documentary, Shahram Nikbakht and Hani Rambad are present along with a number of famous domestic and international heroes and bodybuilders. Film production in the four countries of Iran, Turkey, Canada and America is one of the important features of this project.

According to Ilmaniya, Kaveh Droudi as a film consultant, Nazanin Zainab Elmaniya and Yasmin Fatemeh Elmaniya as assistant directors, Hashem Attar as a cinematographer, Alan Darpinian as a make-up designer and planning manager, Hengeme Ghasemi Hamed as a set and costume designer, Ghazal Gharibpour as a stage secretary, and Mehrdad Dodgari as a sound engineer are present in this project. Also, Mehdi Mahdavi is in charge of production and finance management, Reza Fathi is in charge of computer and accounting management, Farshad Jodaki is in charge of administrative and payments management, and Maziar Qalami is in charge of editing and sounding this documentary.

The director of "Barsad Be Dast Maldini" stated about the sponsors of the project: This film is produced with the support of the Iranian Documentary Cinema Producers Association and with the participation of the Iranian Cinema Documentary Development Center, and the Iranian Film and Art House Institute is the project manager. Fortunately, the cooperation of these institutions has made the production of the project proceed with order and proper planning.

In the end, Ilmenia said about the screening and broadcast plans of this documentary: After the completion of filming and the completion of the technical stages, "Aan Suy Sekou" will be ready to participate in domestic and international festivals. Also, planning for the movie screening of this work in the cinemas of the country and broadcasting an eight-part version through the home viewing platform, after the movie screening, is on the agenda.

In the end, he said: The documentary film "Aan Suy Sekou" focusing on the connection between sports, health and ethics, tries to portray the less seen aspects of the life of heroes and the challenges of professional sports and offers a different look at the concept of heroism and the place of wrestling culture in today's world. I hope that after watching this movie, the audience will not be limited to medals and podiums.

Mehdi Elminia previously received a diploma of honor from the 19th World Sports Film Festival in Milan with the movie "Beresd Be Dast Maldini" from Italy.