PROFESSION:DOCUMENTARIST
Directors: Shirin Barghnavard, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Farahnaz Sharifi, Mina Keshavarz, Sepideh Abtahi, Sah a r Salahshoor, Nahid Rezaei
Directors: Shirin Barghnavard, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Farahnaz Sharifi, Mina Keshavarz, Sepideh Abtahi, Sah a r Salahshoor, Nahid Rezaei
7pm sharp on Thursday, 24th September
Venue: Everest Talkies, Kenchappa Road, Fraser Town
80 minutes / Farsi (Persian) with English sub-titles / IRAN / 2013
In 2011, two years after the decisive presidential elections in Iran, six film makers were arrested. The rest were subjected to interrogation and unbearable restrictions. The ‘House of Cinema’, the only semi-independent association where film makers were allowed to perform guild activities, was shut down. Censorship intensified. The ambience for art works became so suffocating that some of the film makers fled the country. Some were banned from leaving the country and even from film making. Feeling dispirited by the new condition, those who remained became reluctant to work with the government institutions. Productions made by personal budgets rather than those funded by the government became popular. The result saw the creation of many social- critical films, most of which are banned or underground works.
Under this desperate situation, a group of seven female - documentary film makers decided to unite their stamina. The documentary is about their personal and professional lives, concerns and challenges in a seven- part autobiographic film. Shirin worries about a prospective war and thinks about how she would respond to the situation. Firouzeh, after the arrest of her filmmaker colleagues from home, panics and starts to quickly gather her things with this fear that her house might be the next target. Farahnaz, even though singing for women is banned in Iran, she is determined to make a film on her favorite woman singer’s life. Mina, watching the new wave of emigration, indecisive about her own prospective migration, wonders how her final decision may affect her life. Sepideh, not willing to forget, holds on to strands of memory through some childhood footage in her camera. Sahar moves out of a house whose window opens to the biggest prison of her country. Nahid searches for another way of living in order to go through the crisis period and not lose hope and happiness.
Please note - The screening is open to delegates only. Passes will be available at venue on the day of screening.
Venue: Everest Talkies, Kenchappa Road, Fraser Town
80 minutes / Farsi (Persian) with English sub-titles / IRAN / 2013
In 2011, two years after the decisive presidential elections in Iran, six film makers were arrested. The rest were subjected to interrogation and unbearable restrictions. The ‘House of Cinema’, the only semi-independent association where film makers were allowed to perform guild activities, was shut down. Censorship intensified. The ambience for art works became so suffocating that some of the film makers fled the country. Some were banned from leaving the country and even from film making. Feeling dispirited by the new condition, those who remained became reluctant to work with the government institutions. Productions made by personal budgets rather than those funded by the government became popular. The result saw the creation of many social- critical films, most of which are banned or underground works.
Under this desperate situation, a group of seven female - documentary film makers decided to unite their stamina. The documentary is about their personal and professional lives, concerns and challenges in a seven- part autobiographic film. Shirin worries about a prospective war and thinks about how she would respond to the situation. Firouzeh, after the arrest of her filmmaker colleagues from home, panics and starts to quickly gather her things with this fear that her house might be the next target. Farahnaz, even though singing for women is banned in Iran, she is determined to make a film on her favorite woman singer’s life. Mina, watching the new wave of emigration, indecisive about her own prospective migration, wonders how her final decision may affect her life. Sepideh, not willing to forget, holds on to strands of memory through some childhood footage in her camera. Sahar moves out of a house whose window opens to the biggest prison of her country. Nahid searches for another way of living in order to go through the crisis period and not lose hope and happiness.
Please note - The screening is open to delegates only. Passes will be available at venue on the day of screening.