Skip to main content
Googoosh - Made of Fire film image; woman sings on green-lit stage

Googoosh - Made of Fire

Portraits

This event has passed

North American Premiere

Iranian pop icon Googoosh has moved countless hearts with her singing and remains beloved by her devoted fans all over the world. On stage since she was three years old, the superstar has lived through decades of political upheaval, including the Islamic Revolution which fettered the rights of women and banned her from performing. She has endured political persecution, 20 years of house arrest, exile, and made a career comeback. Blessed with a natural warmth and the rare ability to connect with people through her music, Googoosh is still on stage in her 70s, outspoken in her activism for her homeland, boldly speaking for the rights of women and young people.

Niloufar Taghizadeh’s enthralling documentary includes archival footage, rare performances, as well as interviews with Googoosh, who tells her story with characteristic wit and charm. This is a fascinating portrait of a troubled and turbulent country, conveyed through the life of an extraordinary woman.

 

Sept 30: Q&A with director Niloufar Taghizadeh

 

Presented by

Media Partner

       

Director
Featuring

Googoosh

Credits
Country of Origin

Germany

Year

2024

Language

In Farsi and English with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
18+
94 min
Art, Music & Photography Documentary Human Rights & Social Justice Women Directors
Windcatcher Productions, ZDF/ARTE

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

Credits & Director

Executive Producer

Niloufar Taghizadeh

Producer

Niloufar Taghizadeh

Cinematography

James Rodney Stolz, Steffen Bohnert

Editor

Catharina Kleber

Niloufar Taghizadeh headshot; Googoosh - Made of Fire director

Niloufar Taghizadeh

Niloufar Taghizadeh was born in Iran and moved to Germany in 1996 to study directing at the Athanor Academy. She has worked on many international projects as a writer, director, and producer and has collaborated with German public TV channels ZDF and ARTE. In 2019, she founded her production company Windcatcher Productions. With her films, she contributes to reflecting on the social conditions in Iran and the world at large. She is especially interested in social justice issues like women’s and children’s rights and struggles against oppression. In 2024, Niloufar is bringing two documentary feature films to cinemas and international festivals: Nila’s Dream in the Garden of Eden and Googoosh – Made of Fire.

Filmography: Nila’s Dream in the Garden of Eden (2024)

 

Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre

Run Terry Run
Run Terry Run film image; man with a prosthetic leg running on a street

Run Terry Run

Dir. Sean Menard
108 min

Through unseen footage from family archives, Run Terry Run explores Terry Fox’s legacy not only as a beloved hero, but as a flesh-and-blood person armed with a fierce determination and an unyielding vision of a better future.

Vancouver Playhouse International Village 9

Nina Roza

Dir. Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
103 min

Mihail, a contemporary art expert, has been living in Montreal since he left Bulgaria with his daughter almost thirty years ago. When he is commissioned to authenticate the work of an 8-year-old painting prodigy, he returns to Bulgaria for the first time.

International Village 10 Alliance Francaise

Elephants in the Fog

Dir. Abinash Bikram Shah
108 min

In a remote Nepalese village, Pirati takes charge in the search for a missing girl belonging to her family of third-gender Kinnar women. A densely atmospheric thriller and a moving portrait of an embattled but resilient community.

SFU Woodwards International Village 10 Fifth Avenue Cinema - 19+ only
Clarissa
Clarissa film image; a woman peering out an open door

Clarissa

Dir. Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
134 min

Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Clarissa brings Mrs. Dalloway to present-day Lagos, with Sophie Okonedo playing the titular society hostess opposite David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, and India Amarteifio in a Nigerian vision of class, privilege, and past lives.

Image: © Courtesy of Elevation Pictures

The Park Theatre
How We Stand
How We Stand film image; woman holding up a lit lighter

How We Stand

Dir. Marie Clements
110 min

How We Stand follows three Indigenous sisters separated after their family relocates to Los Angeles under Native American Relocation Program in the 1950s. Twenty years later, they navigate identity, trauma, and very different lives.

The Rio Theatre Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island
Hearing
Hearing film image; man massaging a woman's leg

Hearing

Dir. Bảo Lê
128 min

Bảo Lê makes a notable entrance with this lush, meticulously composed feature debut that unfolds as a series of film tableaux drawing on moments in the life of a middle-aged mechanic whose work involves installing decibel meters across public spaces.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema