Introduction: The Rise of The Elephant King (Filshah)
The Elephant King (Filshah) stands as a landmark Iranian animated feature film, directed by Hadi Mohammadian and produced by Hamed Ja’fari under the banner of Honar Pooya Group. This production is the ambitious successor to the widely popular “Princess of Rome” (Shahzade-ye Rom), marking a significant step forward for the Iranian animation industry. The Elephant King (Filshah) was financed through a combination of private investment from Honar Pooya Group, along with contributions from the Farabi Cinema Foundation and the Image City Institute, highlighting a major collaborative effort to elevate the quality of domestic animated content.
According to IBland, The film secured a notable achievement by being the sole animated entry selected for the Soudaye Simorgh competition section at the 36th Fajr Film Festival, where it competed alongside 22 other live-action cinematic works. Its success has not been confined to domestic screens; The Elephant King (Filshah) has been dubbed into Arabic and English, successfully appealing to an international audience, and is considered one of the first serious Iranian animations to gain global recognition.
Plot Summary: The Clumsy Heir and a Historical Epic
The core narrative of The Elephant King (Filshah) is a fantastical story aimed at a child and adolescent audience, set in a vibrant African jungle. The film revolves around Shadfil, the extremely clumsy, overweight, and somewhat pampered son of the elephant herd’s chief. Despite the herd’s high expectations for him to be the successor, Shadfil’s massive size constantly leads to destruction and mishaps, earning him the nickname Shasfil (a portmanteau implying ‘foolish elephant’) from the other baby elephants.
The fun and games end when hunters arrive and capture most of the elephants, including Shadfil and his tribe. They are imprisoned on a pirate ship led by the villainous Asfal as-Sāfilīn. This pirate intends to present the captured animals to the king of the land of Saba. The king, revealed to be Abraha, plans to use the elephants to construct an idol temple and compel the people of his country to worship them.
The story takes its inspiration from a significant historical and religious event: the Year of the Elephant and Abraha’s campaign to destroy the Kaaba in Mecca, as referenced in the Islamic Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant). The religious undertones are subtly woven into the fantasy narrative, avoiding the overly didactic or bombastic tone seen in some previous religious-themed domestic productions. It is only in the final act of The Elephant King (Filshah) that the plot aligns with the events of the Surah, with creative adaptations to enhance the dramatic appeal.
Production and Technical Achievements
The production of The Elephant King (Filshah) was a massive undertaking, reflecting Honar Pooya Group’s dedication to creating a high-quality product for Iranian cinema.
Technical Prowess
- Advanced Rendering: The film’s complexity required significant computational power, utilizing 10 million Gigahertz of computer processing for rendering. This led to a substantial 60% of the rendering process being outsourced to Ukraine and Hong Kong, a decision that was crucial in maintaining graphic quality and preventing visual glitches throughout the animation.
- Software and Pipeline: Over 20 graphical software applications were used. Importantly, a significant portion of the animation production pipeline was natively developed (localized) by Iranian programmers within Honar Pooya Group, which substantially reduced the time and cost associated with producing cinematic animated features for the company.
- Visual Effects (VFX): The filmmakers made a conscious effort to showcase their graphic capabilities, particularly focusing on complex effects like water and fire, especially in the initial sequences, to align the visuals of The Elephant King (Filshah) with global standards.
Team and Cast
A large team of 150 people was involved in the production, including over 50 animators dedicated to character movement. A major challenge noted by the team was the intricate animation of the large number of four-legged and two-legged animals, making it a distinguishing feature in Iranian animation.
The film boasts a roster of professional and well-known voice actors (dubbers), a practice that is becoming increasingly common globally (e.g., Kung Fu Panda). In The Elephant King (Filshah), the dubbing team is considered a primary strength:
| Character | Voice Actor |
| Shadfil | Hamed Azizi |
| Pafil (Shadfil’s Father) | Bahram Zand |
| Mafil (Shadfil’s Mother) | Zohreh Shokoufandeh |
| Asfal | Hossein Erfani |
| Abdol-Muttalib | Nasser Tahmasb |
| Father Barnaba | Akbar Manani |
| Queen of Saba / Abraha | Shayan Shambayati |
Box Office and Accolades
The Elephant King (Filshah) proved to be a commercial success. With a production budget of $30,000, it grossed over $65,000 in cinemas, establishing itself as a profitable domestic hit.
The film’s achievements were recognized with several accolades:
- Best Technical and Artistic Achievement Statue from the 18th Hafez Awards (Donyaye Tasvir).
- Nominee for Best Film Music at the 20th Great Celebration of Iranian Cinema.
- Winner of the Phoenix Statue for Best Film at the 7th Phoenix Cinema Awards.
- Diploma of Honor and Special Award for the Manifestation of National Will at the 36th Fajr International Film Festival.
Critical Reception: Strengths and Weaknesses
Critics generally acknowledged that The Elephant King (Filshah) represents a significant step forward for Iranian animation, particularly in its technical execution.
Points of Strength
- Exceptional Graphics and Visual Quality: The consensus is that the graphical quality of The Elephant King (Filshah) is vastly superior to previous Iranian works, achieving a high level of detail and polish.
- Professional Voice Acting: The skilled dubbing team is frequently cited as the main strength of the film, with the performers successfully lending their voices to the characters and contributing much of the film’s humour.
- Child-Friendly Narrative: The plot is praised for its suitable and well-handled storytelling for a younger audience, contributing to its commercial success.
Points of Criticism
- Screenplay Flaws: While improved compared to other domestic animations, the screenplay of The Elephant King (Filshah) was criticized for:
- Lack of Slapstick Comedy: The minimal use of overt comedic scenes and physical humour was seen as a weakness, particularly for very young children who are often drawn to these elements.
- Plot Holes and Underdeveloped Story Arcs: Critics pointed to several narrative gaps and insufficient depth in character development.
- Editing Issues: The film’s fast-paced and often jarring editing was a major point of contention, especially in the festival cut and subsequent releases. This “nervous” and hurried rhythm was said to disrupt the flow, occasionally confusing younger viewers, and neutralizing the impact of emotional scenes.
- Sound and Music: The sound design and musical score, despite the involvement of a renowned composer like Sattar Oraki (known for his work on Oscar-winning films by Asghar Farhadi), were considered weak. Specific issues included:
- Echoing Dialogue and Mismatched Sound Effects in various scenes.
- The music itself was deemed uninspired and often overshadowed by the poor sound mixing, detracting from the overall viewing experience of The Elephant King (Filshah).
Global Appeal and Thematic Resonance
The subtle inclusion of religious and cross-cultural themes positions The Elephant King (Filshah) for broader international appeal. References to biblical figures and their followers, with character names like Maryam (Mary) and Barnaba (Barnabas), help smooth its entry into the global market. This thematic approach; animal characters interwoven with divine narratives; draws parallels with successful international animations, such as The Star, which similarly chronicles animals adjacent to a major religious event. By being dubbed into Arabic and English, and focusing on a universally known religious narrative (The Year of the Elephant), The Elephant King (Filshah) effectively transcends its regional origins to become a significant contender in global animation.
Source: kodoumo