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
Googoosh
Germany
2024
In Farsi and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Niloufar Taghizadeh
Producer
Niloufar Taghizadeh
Cinematography
James Rodney Stolz, Steffen Bohnert
Editor
Catharina Kleber
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
Rebecca Horn – the Secret Life of Things
Rebecca Horn's extraordinary biography is interwoven with her surreal oeuvre. An essential document of one of the 20th century's most influential artists, Rebecca Horn – The Secret Life of Things celebrates the unsung legacy of a pioneering visionary.
Image: © Rebecca Horn
Bitter Christmas
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest confection is a mischievously meta mea culpa, a bifurcated comedy about the perils of autofiction: A blocked writer-director borrows liberally from the lives of friends without so much as a by your leave.
Agridulce (Bittersweet)
Four aspiring young musicians in the Dominican Republic find fulfilment in the study of bachata music. Tinged with melancholy but full of joy, Agridulce (Bittersweet) is rooted in hopefulness of a bright future through music.
Fruit Gathering
Achingly sensual and graced with fine performances, Fruit Gathering depicts embattled desire in a conservative society. Two working-class women fall into a romantic relationship in contemporary Myanmar — but is their love real, or borne of desperation?
The Loneliest Man in Town
Vienna-based Al Cook plays a fictionalized version of himself in this poignant deadpan portrait of a bluesman at a crossroads. A beguiling minor-key medley of melancholy and nostalgia that draws you fully into its thrall.
Image: © Vento Film