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Persian Cats

Exclusive Interview with Director Ebrahim Mokhtari Living in Iranian rural communities and how extraordinary it is for a female political candidate, like Zinat..

American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein (2009)
"American Radical is a nuanced and powerful portrait of the scholar Norman Finkelstien, one of the..

Watch The Stoning of Soraya M (2008) A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into ..

War (Uerra) (2009)
Italy summer of 1946. The war has ended but there are no signs of peace between fascist Paolo and socialist Luigi. A Film by Paolo Sassanelli

Sita Sings the Blues (2008) Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email..

Iranian Women Filmmakers (2002)
While film-making in Iran remains a sensitive and intensely political process, women film-makers have..

Watch The Queen and I (2008) Three decades after leaving her home country, Iranian filmmaker Nahid Persson Sarvestani decided to make..

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Father of My Children (2009)
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A Family (2010)
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Of Gods and Men (2010)
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Crude (2009)
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Heiran (2009)
Directed by: Shalizeh Arefpour
Date of birth: 1970, Teheran, Iran
Writing credits: Shalizeh Arefpour & Naghmeh Samini
Music by: Alireza Kohan Deyri
Country: Iran
Language: Farsi
Color: Color
Runtime: 88 min
Released: 2009
Genre: Drama

Synopsis

A headstrong Iranian adolescent falls in love with an illegal Afghan worker in the concise social-problem drama "Heiran," the first fiction feature from documaker Shalizeh Arefpour. Tale's poignant expression of parental hopes, fears and disappointments will strike a universal chord. Marking the debut of a female directing talent, as well as the last perf by legendary thesp Khosro Shakibaei, here playing a gruff but kindly grandfather, the good-looking, well-acted pic should suit offshore fests and ancillary.

Heiran (2009) - Trailer

High schooler Mahi (Baran Kosari) lives with her extended family on a farm in northern Iran. After meeting poor but dignified Heiran (Mehrdad Sedighian) on the bus, she won't consider any other suitors. Her parents, refugees from Abadan, are horrified, as they want her to go to college and make a better life for herself. But the lovesick girl pursues the orphaned youth to Tehran, where they wed in spite of her family's opposition; Heiran gives up his student visa, and soon falls victim to the overwhelming challenge of trying to make ends meet as an illegal worker. Gorgeous lensing in autumnal tones adds to the story's melancholy mood, as does the lush score. (By ALISSA SIMON)

Cast: Baran Kosari, Mehrdad Sedighian, Khosro Shakibaei, Farhad Aslani, Zhahleh Sameti, Fouzhan Arefpour, Mohsen Mokari.

Heiran Behind The Scene

Camera (color): Hossein Jafarian;
editor, Sepideh Abdolvahab;
Director Of Photograghy: Hossein Jafarian
Costume and Set Designer: Amir Esbati
Make up: Mehrdad Mirkiani
music: Alireza Kohan Deyri;
Sound Recorder: sasan Nakhaei
Sound Mix: Hossein Mafi
Assistant Director: Behrooz shoeibi
Executive Producer: Nava Rohani
Director Adviser: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
Investors: EnBank,Documentary and Experimental Film Center ( DEFC)
Producers: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad , Jahangir Kosari
Production Of: Cinema 79 Co.
Reviewed on DVD, Chicago, May 31, 2009. (In Cannes Film Festival -- market; Fajr Film Festival.) Running time: 86 MIN.