A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse.
Amir, a young Iranian, signs on with a fisherman on the rugged Caspian Sea coast in order to earn the money he needs to marry his sweetheart, Narges. But in so doing, he becomes entangled in the criminal machinations of caviar poaching. Piece by piece, a complex hierarchy is revealed in a parallel realm that becomes ever more constricting and oppressive, endangering Amir’s relationship with Narges as well.
Student Fereshteh has to hide her illegitimate baby for one night from her parents who turn up for a surprise visit. Her friend Atefeh helps her. They embark on an odyssey through Tehran during which they must carefully weigh up who their allies are.
Zaid, 15, lives near Kabul with his mother and sister. Between school, his friends and his hobbies, he seems to be flourishing in a city in ruins after the war. But when his mother tells him it’s time to get married, his ambitions crumble and the heavy secret of his freedom must come to an end.
A complex and sometimes combative exchange at an Iranian broadcaster over a certain Hollywood blockbuster disguises deeper ruptures, in Farnoosh Samadi’s wry and subtly provocative drama.
The story shows a different point of view of Iraq's invasion since it's narrated by self sacrificing fearless women who reach the army fortress in order to bring back weapons and ammunitions to stand against the enemy.
On a cold winter’s night in modern Tehran, a couple of young lovers run into a serious problem, and they have just a few hours to come up with a solution. They go from hospital to hospital in search for help, but none of the hospitals will admit the young woman and provide her with the medical attention she desperately requires. While they try hard to find a way to solve the problem, they have to hide what is happening from their parents. Moreover, their relationship is facing a crisis and will suffer dire consequences. Caught between conservative traditions and modern day desires, the couple must face their uncertain future.
Aban a tough, self-sufficient person, and the only woman contractor in the orange fields of northern Iran, beats out the male competitors for a big job. She becomes responsible for peaking oranges on a farm. The operation seems to get off to a rocky start but Aban won't let go without a fight. So, she asks women in the northern regions who are seasonal workers to help her.
A man and his two children are late for their flight. While they wait for the next flight something happens that changes his point of view about being a father.
Maryam accidentally killed her husband Nasser and is sentenced to death. The only person who can save her is Mona, Nasser's daughter. All Mona has to do is appear on a TV show and forgive Maryam. But forgiveness proves difficult when they are forced to relive the past.
A teenage girl gets involved in the process of delivering a pack of cocaine to its client, and gets stuck in a weird cycle of occurrences.
Rona and Hamed are two young Afghans who are in love with each other. Searching for a better life, they have decided to immigrate to Europe but they have to make a big decision to make it happen, a decision that relates to their religion and beliefs.
A school teacher from Tehran is preparing to attend a wedding in northern Iran. When her husband suddenly forbids her to go, she makes a choice that will place her on a painful path to atonement.
Bahram is a 40-year-old filmmaker who’s spent his entire career making films in Turkish-Azeri, none of which have ever been screened in Iran. His latest work, once again denied permission by the Ministry of culture, pushes him to the edge of defiance. With his sharp-tongued, Vespa-riding producer Sadaf by his side, he embarks on an underground mission to showcase his film to an Iranian audience, dodging government censors, absurd bureaucracy, and his own self- doubts.
A trans man and his partner travel to a remote Iranian village to face his estranged father and obtain documents that would permit them to live authentically, in visionary director Farnoosh Samadi’s bold queer love story.
Selda, a girl in a secluded village, suffers from primary amenorrhea – a silent condition that distances her from the rhythm of womanhood recognized by her surroundings. Trapped in a suspended state of adolescence, Selda observes the world in silence, disconnected yet hyper-aware. Her inner world simmers with desires she can't articulate, frustrations she can't share, and a yearning to vanish into something freer. Attitude follows her intimate rebellion: an unspoken shift within, a slow, persistent awakening. A film about the invisible revolutions inside quiet lives.