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Layla Mohammadi as Leila, Niousha Noor as Shirin in The Persian Version. Photo credit: Yiget Eken. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Growing up with a foot in two cultures can be a tricky experience, so why not turn it into a comedy? The Persian Version is writer/director Maryam Keshavars’ semi-autobiographical comedy/family drama with a heart, that sets out to do just that. The Persian Version is more irreverently, laugh-out-loud funny than you might expect, but it also contains a moving story about the director’s mother, which almost could have made an epic drama on its own.
The main character in The Persian Version, Leila (Layla Mohammadi), describes herself as too American for Iran and too Iranian for America. American-born but growing up in a very Iranian immigrant family of all boys, with her as the sole daughter, Leila was the disrupter of expectations from the start. Leila...
Growing up with a foot in two cultures can be a tricky experience, so why not turn it into a comedy? The Persian Version is writer/director Maryam Keshavars’ semi-autobiographical comedy/family drama with a heart, that sets out to do just that. The Persian Version is more irreverently, laugh-out-loud funny than you might expect, but it also contains a moving story about the director’s mother, which almost could have made an epic drama on its own.
The main character in The Persian Version, Leila (Layla Mohammadi), describes herself as too American for Iran and too Iranian for America. American-born but growing up in a very Iranian immigrant family of all boys, with her as the sole daughter, Leila was the disrupter of expectations from the start. Leila...
- 11/3/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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Naghdipari was detained during street protests marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
The International Coalition for Filmmakers and at Risk (Icfr) and leading Iranian director Jafar Panahi have demanded the release of Iranian set and costume designer Leila Naghdipari.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians detained earlier this month amid street protests in the country marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
Her credits include Panahi’s Cannes competition film 3 Faces and Abbas Amini’s Valderrama.
The Ifcr and its founding institutions, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, International Documentary...
The International Coalition for Filmmakers and at Risk (Icfr) and leading Iranian director Jafar Panahi have demanded the release of Iranian set and costume designer Leila Naghdipari.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians detained earlier this month amid street protests in the country marking the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.
Her credits include Panahi’s Cannes competition film 3 Faces and Abbas Amini’s Valderrama.
The Ifcr and its founding institutions, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, International Documentary...
- 9/27/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
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Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi has launched an impassioned appeal for production designer Leila Naghdipari to be released from jail following her recent arrest during demonstrations marking the one year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians arrested on Sept. 16 during widespread protests marking the anniversary of Amini’s death while being detained for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law that mandates covered hair.
“Today, Iranian independent cinema is more that ever struggling to breathe under the boots of the security forces,” Panahi said in his appeal.
Panahi added that it’s been more than 10 days since the arrest of Naghdipari, who was the production designer on his 2018 film “Three Faces,” a road trip through the repressive territory of patriarchal rural Iran. Panahi shot the film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, in violation of his 20-year filmmaking ban.
“All the efforts of her husband Majid Barzegar,...
Naghdipari was one of hundreds of Iranians arrested on Sept. 16 during widespread protests marking the anniversary of Amini’s death while being detained for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law that mandates covered hair.
“Today, Iranian independent cinema is more that ever struggling to breathe under the boots of the security forces,” Panahi said in his appeal.
Panahi added that it’s been more than 10 days since the arrest of Naghdipari, who was the production designer on his 2018 film “Three Faces,” a road trip through the repressive territory of patriarchal rural Iran. Panahi shot the film, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival, in violation of his 20-year filmmaking ban.
“All the efforts of her husband Majid Barzegar,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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If cinema is an empathy machine, to paraphrase the late Roger Ebert, then Agnieszka Holland’s new film is one precision-tooled specimen.
This profoundly moving, flawlessly executed multi-strand drama, shot in stark black and white, tracks refugees from various nations in 2021 trying to cross the border from Belarus into Poland. With inevitably tragic consequences, they become pawns in a gruesome game of “pass the parcel” between guards on both sides of the title’s green border, the dividing line between European Union member Poland and Russia ally Belarus.
Although the violence shown isn’t gratuitous, the suffering in Green Border (Zielona granica) is painfully palpable. There is a moment where a Pole, a minor character in the story, refuses to look at a video on a friend’s phone showing a border guard beating a migrant; Holland’s film implicitly confronts everyone — and that would be most of us — who...
This profoundly moving, flawlessly executed multi-strand drama, shot in stark black and white, tracks refugees from various nations in 2021 trying to cross the border from Belarus into Poland. With inevitably tragic consequences, they become pawns in a gruesome game of “pass the parcel” between guards on both sides of the title’s green border, the dividing line between European Union member Poland and Russia ally Belarus.
Although the violence shown isn’t gratuitous, the suffering in Green Border (Zielona granica) is painfully palpable. There is a moment where a Pole, a minor character in the story, refuses to look at a video on a friend’s phone showing a border guard beating a migrant; Holland’s film implicitly confronts everyone — and that would be most of us — who...
- 9/6/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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“Holy Spider” breakout Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv are set to make history with “Tatami,” the first feature co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker.
Premiering in Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section, “Tatami” shows Iranian female judo fighter Leila (played by “The L Word: Generation Q” star Arienne Mandi) heading to the world championships with her coach Maryam (Ebrahimi). Soon, they receive an ultimatum: in order to avoid squaring off against an Israeli opponent, Leila should immediately fake an injury and drop out.
“Can you imagine how many threats I have received after ‘Holy Spider,’ accusing me of ‘working with Jews’? We are not even allowed to call someone Israeli. It’s always ‘the occupying regime,’” Ebrahimi says.
Fearing for their safety, they decided to shoot in secret.
“We didn’t want anyone to know about it. We shot in Tbilisi in Georgia, two hours away from...
Premiering in Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section, “Tatami” shows Iranian female judo fighter Leila (played by “The L Word: Generation Q” star Arienne Mandi) heading to the world championships with her coach Maryam (Ebrahimi). Soon, they receive an ultimatum: in order to avoid squaring off against an Israeli opponent, Leila should immediately fake an injury and drop out.
“Can you imagine how many threats I have received after ‘Holy Spider,’ accusing me of ‘working with Jews’? We are not even allowed to call someone Israeli. It’s always ‘the occupying regime,’” Ebrahimi says.
Fearing for their safety, they decided to shoot in secret.
“We didn’t want anyone to know about it. We shot in Tbilisi in Georgia, two hours away from...
- 9/2/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
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Iranian documentary filmmaker and female rights activist Mojgan Ilanlou was arrested in Tehran on Sunday and then held for 24 hours, to be freed late Monday.
The detention follows news last week that Leila’s Brothers filmmakers Saeed Roustayi and Javad Noruzbegi had been sentenced to six months in prison on charges of “anti-regime propaganda activity” for screening the family drama in Cannes in 2022.
Ilanlou’s detention and the sentence for the Leila’s Brothers filmmakers are seen as signs that Iran’s Islamic Regime is upping its efforts to smother the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising as it approaches its one-year anniversary.
The protests were originally prompted by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody last September, after she was arrested for not wearing her veil correctly.
Ilanlou was previously arrested in October 2022 for removing her veil and sharing the photos on social media in the early days of the protests.
The detention follows news last week that Leila’s Brothers filmmakers Saeed Roustayi and Javad Noruzbegi had been sentenced to six months in prison on charges of “anti-regime propaganda activity” for screening the family drama in Cannes in 2022.
Ilanlou’s detention and the sentence for the Leila’s Brothers filmmakers are seen as signs that Iran’s Islamic Regime is upping its efforts to smother the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising as it approaches its one-year anniversary.
The protests were originally prompted by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody last September, after she was arrested for not wearing her veil correctly.
Ilanlou was previously arrested in October 2022 for removing her veil and sharing the photos on social media in the early days of the protests.
- 8/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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This article contains spoilers for Heartstopper season 2.
Netflix’s second season of Heartstopper is breaking viewership records for LGBTQ+ programming, transcending the typical queer audience it would be expected to garner. Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring’s (Joe Locke) deeply romantic teenage fling started to blossom into a real relationship in season 2, and with that development came discussions around coming out, eating disorders, communication, and sexual consent. The series has a unique way of painting every scenario gold that could possibly trouble its characters.
Heartstopper’s eternal queer ecstasy is an absolute Godsend for the LGBTQ+ community, allowing young viewers to see a bright light of possibility and potential for their adolescent romantic prospects and on into adulthood. In a world with so much darkness and depression, having this type of upbeat version of living queer is undeniably vital. This positivity has an odd way of making LGBTQ...
Netflix’s second season of Heartstopper is breaking viewership records for LGBTQ+ programming, transcending the typical queer audience it would be expected to garner. Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring’s (Joe Locke) deeply romantic teenage fling started to blossom into a real relationship in season 2, and with that development came discussions around coming out, eating disorders, communication, and sexual consent. The series has a unique way of painting every scenario gold that could possibly trouble its characters.
Heartstopper’s eternal queer ecstasy is an absolute Godsend for the LGBTQ+ community, allowing young viewers to see a bright light of possibility and potential for their adolescent romantic prospects and on into adulthood. In a world with so much darkness and depression, having this type of upbeat version of living queer is undeniably vital. This positivity has an odd way of making LGBTQ...
- 8/11/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGI2YmEyYmYtMzY5Mi00Zjc2LWFlZmMtOThhNDE1YzZhZDMwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Episode 4 of Made In Heaven Season 2 ended with superstars Leila and Sarfaraz getting married amidst the ego clash between the two. Karan and Tara are falling out over him using company money without letting anyone know about it. In the coming episodes, we will get to know how Made in Heaven will work out.
Spoilers Ahead
Karan and Tara split their jobs
The situation at Made in Heaven reaches a point where Karan and Tara are too angry at each other to be looking eye to eye, let alone speaking to each other. Tara has every right to be angry because Karan acted without thinking, and he never apologized for his silly act. This is the first time since the inception of the company that the two of them have had a major argument.
Tara and Karan will have a lot to lose if the company is forced to shut down,...
Spoilers Ahead
Karan and Tara split their jobs
The situation at Made in Heaven reaches a point where Karan and Tara are too angry at each other to be looking eye to eye, let alone speaking to each other. Tara has every right to be angry because Karan acted without thinking, and he never apologized for his silly act. This is the first time since the inception of the company that the two of them have had a major argument.
Tara and Karan will have a lot to lose if the company is forced to shut down,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
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Made In Heaven Episode 3 ends with Gulshan and Kriti, the parents of the betrothed couple, eloping. They get married as per the plans of the Made in Heaven team. Their love story is one for many generations to cherish, as they longed for each other and waited all this time.
Spoilers Ahead
Made in Heaven at the French Riviera
Made in Heaven finally gets the contract to manage the wedding of Bollywood superstars Sarfaraz Khan and Leila Shirazi. To jog your memory, he is the star who was invited to the wedding handled by the same company, where he ended up sleeping with the bride unbeknownst to many. This character is the only one connected to a wedding-related subplot from the previous season. It is not clear if the makers are trying to mimic any actor in this story.
Jazz and Kabir finally talk
Jazz and Kabir seem to have...
Spoilers Ahead
Made in Heaven at the French Riviera
Made in Heaven finally gets the contract to manage the wedding of Bollywood superstars Sarfaraz Khan and Leila Shirazi. To jog your memory, he is the star who was invited to the wedding handled by the same company, where he ended up sleeping with the bride unbeknownst to many. This character is the only one connected to a wedding-related subplot from the previous season. It is not clear if the makers are trying to mimic any actor in this story.
Jazz and Kabir finally talk
Jazz and Kabir seem to have...
- 8/11/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
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Goodbye, angels.
“The Idol” — or at least its first season — came to a conclusion after five episodes on Sunday night, but not without the usual dose of darkly sexual ups and downs for its jewel-eyed, rat-tailed stars.
Titled “Jocelyn Forever,” the episode begins with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) at her home, working on a song with prolific hip-hop producer Mike Dean (played by himself). As she sings lyrics Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) prompted her to write — “My kinda love / Force me, choke me ’till I pass out” — it becomes clear that the ex-pimp’s coke habit has caught up to him. Sweating, with his hair beginning to fall out of his famous rat-tail, he interrupts the jam session to give some notes. Jocelyn lets him know he isn’t welcome to do that anymore.
“You’re gonna kick out your only source of inspiration?” Tedros jeers. Jocelyn shoots back, “I...
“The Idol” — or at least its first season — came to a conclusion after five episodes on Sunday night, but not without the usual dose of darkly sexual ups and downs for its jewel-eyed, rat-tailed stars.
Titled “Jocelyn Forever,” the episode begins with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) at her home, working on a song with prolific hip-hop producer Mike Dean (played by himself). As she sings lyrics Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) prompted her to write — “My kinda love / Force me, choke me ’till I pass out” — it becomes clear that the ex-pimp’s coke habit has caught up to him. Sweating, with his hair beginning to fall out of his famous rat-tail, he interrupts the jam session to give some notes. Jocelyn lets him know he isn’t welcome to do that anymore.
“You’re gonna kick out your only source of inspiration?” Tedros jeers. Jocelyn shoots back, “I...
- 7/3/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
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The WGA strike and its work-stoppage left thousands of writers with an indefinite amount of free time to fill their days. Some are spending it on the picket lines, while others are tending to their personal lives. On May 10, close to 400 striking writers did both by mixing picketing and pleasure at the inaugural “Strike Up a Romance,” an inclusive, 21+ singles picket and party.
The event — co-hosted by a team of Hollywood scribes including Lj Matchmaking’s Jaydi Samuels Kuba and Lauren Rosenberg with Debby Wolfe, Marcos Luevanos and Deanna Shumaker — kicked off with a four-hour protest at the Universal Studios gates followed by an evening mixer over margaritas at Roadside Taco on Ventura Boulevard. Name tags and colored markers helped scribes signal their dating preferences (pink for interested in women, blue for men, purple for people and red for “wing person”) while the circumstances provided the social lubricant.
“The strike...
The event — co-hosted by a team of Hollywood scribes including Lj Matchmaking’s Jaydi Samuels Kuba and Lauren Rosenberg with Debby Wolfe, Marcos Luevanos and Deanna Shumaker — kicked off with a four-hour protest at the Universal Studios gates followed by an evening mixer over margaritas at Roadside Taco on Ventura Boulevard. Name tags and colored markers helped scribes signal their dating preferences (pink for interested in women, blue for men, purple for people and red for “wing person”) while the circumstances provided the social lubricant.
“The strike...
- 5/17/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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WestEnd Films and Keshet Studios have unveiled a first look at “Golda” director Guy Nattiv and “Holy Spider” star Zar Amir-Ebrahimi’s political thriller “Judo.”
The image, which features Amir-Ebrahimi (left) and Arienne Mandi (right), follows an Iranian female judoka and her coach as they face life-changing decisions during the Judo World Championships.
“Judo” (working title) is co-directed by Nattiv and Amir-Ebrahimi. It is co-written by Nattiv and Elham Erfani (“The Case of Sacrifice”). The project is the first feature film to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker, during a time when the Iranian government still criminalizes any contact with Israelis, and state violence against women is amplified.
Other cast members include Jaime Ray Newman (“Dopesick”), Nadine Marshall (“The Silent Twin”), Mehdi Bajestani (“Holy Spider”), Lirr Katz and Ash Goldeh.
Here’s an official synopsis for the project: “Judo” is a thrilling portrait of Iranian female judoka...
The image, which features Amir-Ebrahimi (left) and Arienne Mandi (right), follows an Iranian female judoka and her coach as they face life-changing decisions during the Judo World Championships.
“Judo” (working title) is co-directed by Nattiv and Amir-Ebrahimi. It is co-written by Nattiv and Elham Erfani (“The Case of Sacrifice”). The project is the first feature film to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker, during a time when the Iranian government still criminalizes any contact with Israelis, and state violence against women is amplified.
Other cast members include Jaime Ray Newman (“Dopesick”), Nadine Marshall (“The Silent Twin”), Mehdi Bajestani (“Holy Spider”), Lirr Katz and Ash Goldeh.
Here’s an official synopsis for the project: “Judo” is a thrilling portrait of Iranian female judoka...
- 5/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
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