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Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari transforms governmental repression into artistic resistance in this intimate cinematic act of defiance. After he is banned from travel following his Cannes premiere, Asgari’s quiet Tehran apartment is invaded by authorities who confiscate hard drives containing footage of the city’s ominous smog clouds. Left with only his memories—one thing that cannot be seized—Asgari crafts a meditative visual essay in apocalyptic shades of grey. The film becomes both personal diary and political statement as he reflects on his mother’s native language, his sisters who cannot see his films in Iranian cinemas, and the decade he spent in Rome. Poetic visuals articulate a profound yearning for freedom while documenting Tehran’s environmental degradation. Asgari’s dream of flying above the city, where from a distance all people appear equal, serves as a metaphor for the ability of the artistic imagination to transcend boundaries when movement is restricted—proving that creativity persists under oppressive conditions. Gugi Gumilang.

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Distributor and Sales Agent: Seven Springs Pictures

Credits

  • Director(s)

    • Ali Asgari
  • Producer(s)

    • Milad Khosravi
    • Ali Asgari
    • Yann Tonnar
    • Shawkat Amin Korki
    • Alireza Khatami
  • Executive Producer(s)

    • Milad Khosravi
    • Ali Asgari
  • Writer(s)

    • Ali Asgari
    • Ali Shams
  • Editor(s)

    • Ehsan Vaseghi
  • Cinematography

    • Arman Fayaz
  • Composer

    • Navid Divan
  • Music

    • Navid Divan
  • Sound

    • Reza Heydari

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