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

Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story

Dir. Kate Kroll
104 min

Kate Kroll's doc is a touching tribute to wrestling legend Luna Vachon, who redefined women's wrestling but struggled with her own demons outside the ring.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

The Art of Adventure

Dir. Alison Reid
90 min

The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Intimate Moments: Short Films by Brendan Prost

Dir. Brendan Prost
120 min

Vignettes of loneliness, desire and fleeting connection, immerse yourself in the short, bittersweet films of Brendan Prost — who will also be filming proceedings for potential inclusion in his self-reflexive doc, The Performance of a Lifetime.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Winter Kept Us Warm

Dir. David Secter
82 min

Often described as the first LGBTQ+ film ever to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, David Secter's lovingly observed portrait of a burgeoning queer romance came at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the country

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
More info

Sold Out

Last Wedding: Jubilee Screening with Bruce Sweeney
Last Wedding film image; bride and groom looking at each other

Last Wedding: Jubilee Screening with Bruce Sweeney

Dir. Bruce Sweeney
100 min

Named the Best Canadian film of 2001 by the Vancouver and Toronto Film Critics, Bruce Sweeney's third feature took a wry look at contemporary relationships through the experiences of three thirtysomething couples whose relationships are about to implode.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Agatha's Almanac

Dir. Amalie Atkins
86 min

Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre