SYNOPSIS…
Atafeh and her brother, Mehran, have grown up in a home filled with music, art, and intellectual curiosity. Atafeh dreams of fame and adventure, and she and her best friend, Shireen, explore Tehran’s underground scene with youthful exuberance and determination to be themselves. Meanwhile, Mehran returns home from drug rehab, and renounces his former decadent life with a vengeance. His once obsessive practice of classical music soon finds more destructive outlets.
Having lost his parents’ trust, Mehran is jealous of Atafeh’s loving relationship with their father and tries to find new meaning in his life. He relentlessly watches his family and slowly becomes estranged from them. As Mehran disapprovingly observes a budding relationship between Atafeh and Shireen, he becomes obsessed with saving Shireen from his sister’s influence.
The once close siblings find themselves at dangerous odds with each other. As violence and desire collide, the once safe haven of the family home becomes increasingly claustrophobic and threatening.
I saw this film at the New Directors/New Films festival at Lincoln Center earlier this year, then again for this interview. I enjoyed experiencing a part of the world that I’m not familiar with. The film is amazingly well acted and appeals to anyone who’s been in love. My quote from ND/NF still holds true for me, “Surprising and empathetic film filled with emotion and heartache.”
Phone Interview with Writer/Director Maryam Keshavarz
Split in to chapters based on the following:
- The inspiration for the film
- The name of the film
- Casting
- Production – shooting in Lebanon and the obstacles
- Pre-production
- The good and the bad of writing and directing
- Her next projects
Trailer:
In Limited Release August 26, 2011 in New York (if you can find a theater open due to Hurricane Irene). Rated R.
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