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Taghi Dejakam, judge of the “National Memory” section at the 15th Ammar Popular Film Festival, emphasized the importance of training filmmakers, saying that Ammar’s goal goes beyond presenting good films—it seeks to nurture capable filmmakers whose works can multiply. He noted that this core aim has recently received less attention, as professionalism in films has become the main focus. People may enjoy the films, but the festival’s real mission is discovering and developing grassroots talents across Tehran and other provinces.

He added that to keep historical and cultural resistance alive, art must be used. As the Supreme Leader says, “To make an event lasting, it must be presented through art.” Whether as poetry, cinema, radio drama, story, music, or cartoon—only artistic presentation ensures an event is truly seen and remembered.

Dejakam said that works on Sacred Defense must not only be precise and emotionally human but also offer something new—either a fresh message or a renewed expression of old truths from new perspectives. Repetition without innovation won’t attract attention or justify spending time or money.

**Critique of Political Aristocracy and Western-Oriented Movements**

He mentioned that the “National Memory” section also critiques political elitism and Westernized currents, though filmmakers have engaged with this topic insufficiently. Most historical portrayals show new perspectives, but the number of such efforts is still small.

Dejakam stressed that the festival must preserve its original identity and not turn into a “Tehran-centered” event. Its unique role has always been to discover hidden talents in smaller cities among youth seldom noticed.

He noted that sometimes a rural filmmaker’s work scoring “60” may be more valuable than a Tehran filmmaker’s “80,” since the former creates under limited conditions with greater passion and deserves to be seen and developed.

In conclusion, Dejakam reminded that earlier festival rounds paid special attention to this mission. If Ammar can return to that original path—discovering unknown talents—it will be far more successful in creating cadres, shaping the future, and training filmmakers for the Islamic Revolution.
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