{"id":700,"date":"2025-10-20T15:57:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T15:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidewalkproject.art\/?page_id=700"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:47:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:47:47","slug":"beetle-lovers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sidewalkproject.art\/index.php\/beetle-lovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Beetle Lovers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cPeople have memories with it, and I play with those memories \u2014 so we should take care of our memories.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Director\u2019s Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Documentary Film \u201cBeetle Lover\u201d \u2013 2016<\/strong>\n
Ramtin Ruzitalab<\/em><\/p>\n

Beetle Lover<\/em> was born out of a personal curiosity \u2014 a fascination with people who are passionately devoted to collecting and restoring classic Volkswagen Beetles. To me, this affection wasn\u2019t just about cars; it was about\n attachment, perseverance, and the desire to preserve a piece of the past within the rush of modern life.<\/p>\n

In 2016, I decided to sit down and talk with five Beetle enthusiasts living in Shiraz \u2014 each of them speaking, in their own way, about the emotional bond they share with their cars. At first glance, they might seem like collectors\n or mechanics, but to me, they embody a unique kind of love \u2014 one that smells of gasoline and rusted metal, yet carries deep warmth and nostalgia.<\/p>\n

These conversations were full of humor, memories, and emotion. I wanted the film to reflect that \u2014 not merely as a story about vintage cars, but as intimate portraits of people who live out love in an unexpected form.<\/p>\n

My friend Dariush Ghaibi<\/strong> joined the project as Technical Adviser<\/strong>, and he\u2019s also one of the characters interviewed in the film. His presence, both behind and in front of the camera, helped\n shape the honest and friendly tone I wanted for this work.<\/p>\n

In the end, Beetle Lover<\/em> became an exercise in seeing love \u2014 in its simplest, strangest shapes \u2014 a kind of love that smells like motor oil and beats with the rhythm of an engine.<\/p>\n

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Producer \/ Director \/ Director of Photography<\/strong>\n
Ramtin Ruzitalab<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assistant Director & Production Coordinator<\/strong>\n
Elham Dehbozorgi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Technical Adviser<\/strong>\n
Dariush Ghaibi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Featuring<\/strong>\n
Beetle Enthusiasts from Shiraz<\/p>\n

Year of Production:<\/strong> 2016\n
Country:<\/strong> Iran<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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