Synopsis

Sahar is a documentary filmmaker in Tehran. Whilst shooting her latest film, she encounters a girl whose mother is in prison for a crime.

The girl is desperately trying to collect "blood money" for the victim in order to free her mother from a death sentence.

The filmmaker finds herself in a quandary – does she intervene to help the girl, or go about documenting the process without interfering? --Dubai film festival

Cast: Niki Karimi, Shahab Hosseini , Ashkan Khatibi, Hasti Mohammadifar, Ghazaleh Rad, Atila Pesiani




Niki Karimi's Final Whistle - Sout-e payan (2011)

Between documentary and fiction, Final Whistle is the third feature film by Iranian actress-director Niki Karimi. Her first directorial debut, A Night, was presented in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2005 before going out in French cinemas. 

A Few Days later..., her second, was shown out of competition at the Festival of Asian Cinema Vesoul in 2008, and Niki Karimi was in the jury. She returns this year for the festival with top-saônois Final Whistle, a film that started from an idea of ​​documentary before the means of fiction not bind it.

As in her previous films, and more assertive perhaps, Niki Karimi delivers a strong story, filmed in a hurry, camera in hand, as in hiding, even if the result is somewhat chaotic.



Niki Karimi plays herself the role of Sahar, a director of documentaries for television. With Saman, her companion (Shahab Hosseini, seen in A Separation A. Farhadi and Goodbye Mr. Rasoulof), himself a director, she runs through the streets of Teheran in search of Malineh, a young woman to whom she wants to claim back some big plans for her film.



When finally she finds Malineh, she finds her in bad shape. She has been the victim of a drunk driver but it is not even the worst. Malineh considering selling a kidney in order to defend his mother, accused of murder and faces execution ...

In the film, two visions collide. Sahar takes to heart the story of Malineh and will strive to meet the 5 million tomans which the girl needs. Saman said he does not owe anything to Malineh: all her problems, he has his, and the mother of the girl is in jail is that there's a reason for that.

The reality is more complex and Sahar will do everything possible to meet the family of the victim, visit the prison for women etc..

Niki Karimi's approach is bold, follows that of the character she portrays. Finally, the film reveals a situation where women find themselves alone with their problems, but must make do have little room to defend herself. Sahar takes heart has a cause that is almost immediately lost and that's probably where the film draws its strength and interest.  --Benoît Thevenin