Filmmaker Reza Dormishian is barred from leaving Iran
Iran has been experiencing volatile protests and widespread unrest, with more and more activists and citizens finding the courage to criticise the oppressive regime that is ruling the country. In reaction to the mandatory hijab law and other human rights violations, protestors have refused to capitulate to the government’s tyranny.
While the Iranian government has already silenced Iranian filmmakers such as Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, the latest to join the list is Reza Dormishian. When Dormishian arrived at the Tehran airport to travel to the International Film Festival of India, his passport was seized by the authorities, and he was barred from leaving the country.
Dormishian recently directed the film No Choice, which is an essential watch for anyone who is trying to get a better understanding of the situation in Iran. Viewed through the perspectives of three different women, it documents the struggles Iran women have to face on a regular basis.
In an interview with Asian Movie Pulse, Dormishian said: “It was a challenge in my mind to show the issues women face in Iran, but the main focus was the homeless people in Iran. I researched the issue for two years with Human Rights activists, went to the places they sleep and spoke with them, and I did not like what I saw and heard at all.”
The director added: “I hope this movie will be the song of the people who sleep in the streets and have no ID card; the film is for these people. There are Iranian people in Iran that do not have an ID card because they do not know where they were born or who their parents are, or even what they have to do to get an ID. I hope we can change something about them. More than 3 million Iranian people in the country have no ID and are living on the streets.”
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