Cannes Short Film online contest: FORBIDDEN TREE by Benafsheh Modaressi.

The National Film Board of Canada, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, welcomes you to this NFB competition, now in its fifth year, and you’re a member of the jury!

Animation work by Benafsheh Modaressi, talented Iranian artist, is now among the 10 finalists. Watch her 7-min animation about a brave account of those who break taboos and make a city to revolt, and support her by pressing “like” on YouTube page. You have to be logged into your YouTube account (or open an account) to be able to vote.


Synopsis:

A story of an imaginary city under a harsh ruler. Love is forbidden, and freedom a distant memory. Few people have the courage to fall in love, challenging the forbidden symbols....This film has no dialogue because the people are too scared to express themselves....in the end, love shines back in to the city. The courage of those who dared to love has saved it. The last clip shows a child tasting life and freedom by eating the apple (symbol of life) freely.

"I went insane, Love found me and said
'I am here, cry no more, curse no more, say no more'
I replied 'O Love it is other than thee which I fear'
Answered 'There is none but me, say no more'"  -- Shams - Rumi

Director: Benafsheh Modaressi
Length: 7'14
Origin: Iran


Bio: Tehranian-born Banafsheh Modaressi worked from 1999 as a freelance photojournalist and reporter for magazines such as Paris Match, Die Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as well as several local newspapers. Government restrictions in Iran hampered her photojournalism career, so Modaressi obtained an M.A. in Graphics and Design in 2005 then began teaching at the University of Applied Science and Technology in Tehran. She has had over 20 photo and mixed-media exhibitions, both inside and outside of Iran, and her love of photography and drawing ultimately led her to animation. Modaressi started film-making in the workshop of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami in 2008 and followed his workshops from Tehran to Villa Arson.