An intimate mid-night moment between two Iranian women, Mast-del witnesses the violent state threat posed to forbidden bodies and desires. Overexposed, narrative clips from post-revolution Iranian cinema accompany a sparse audio landscape to contextualize abstractions of what must be inferred between the silent narration. Premiering in Cannes, at Quinzaine des Cineastes, Maryam Tafakory’s poignant, affecting work was nominated for both the Queer Palm and Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary.
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
Iran/UK
2023
In Farsi and English with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Producer
Maryam Tafakory
Screenwriter
Maryam Tafakory
Original Music
Sarah Davachi
Editor
Maryam Tafakory
Cinematography
Anonymous, Maryam Tafakory
Director
Maryam Tafakory
Maryam Tafakory, born in Shiraz, Iran, works with film and performance. Screenings of her work include MoMA, Locarno, IFFR and ICA, amongst others. Her works won awards such as the Best Experimental Short at 70th Mel-bourne International Film Festival, Gold Hugo Award at 58th Chicago International Festival, Tiger Short Award at 51st IFFR Rotterdam and Barbara Hammer Feminist Award at 60th AAFF.
Filmography: Nazarbazi (2022); Irani Bag (2021); I Have Sinned a Rapturous Sin (2017); Absent Wound (2016)
MODES
See more shorts in this series
MODES 1
From the indoctrination of youth to increasing surveillance, populist ethno-nationalist and fascist ideologies continue to take root, yet dissent remains at the fore.
MODES 2
Intimate and unapologetic stories of women and queer lives are uncovered through provocative and deeply personal accounts that examine memory, identity, and dignity.
MODES 3
Moving through often uncharted (subaltern) territory, these works and their subjects carry the remnants of emotional and physical labour on their shoulders, both literally and figuratively.