Interview with Iranian directing duet Sana Norouzbaki and Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian
Welcome Sana and Fatemeh, we are very excited to have you today with us to discuss about your work.
Who are Sana Norouzbaki and Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian and how did the passion for filmmaking start ?
Sana Norouzbaki has a Master's Degree in Architecture, and she has appeared as a costume and scene designer in feature and short films, and she also has experience in short film directing. More over, she has several international awards in her career.
Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian is a psychologist and director in the field of documentaries and short films and a psychologist consultant in feature films in Iranian cinema.
Can you tell us about your previous work ?
Sana: In the field of directing, my last short film is called “THE PAINTING” (which can be viewed for free on YouTube), and before that, I made the film "Panah", which is the subject of our conversation. In addition, I have made the films "Bench" and " A Morsel of Love ". Fatemeh: My last work was "Panah", but before that, I worked on "Where is Heaven" and the documentary " The Beginning Of The End ", which was based on a research article.
CONVERSATION ABOUT: PANAH
Talk to us about the tragic events that inspired your film ?
Sana:
The main idea and focus of the film were on identity, which was the shocking story of the self-immolation of "Ella Nik Bayan" in Germany. She set herself on fire in protest of not receiving her new identity documents, which shocked us. Although suicide is not a new phenomenon in the world, the suicide of queers, which is to achieve their most basic right, which is to accept their identity and be accepted by the people around them and society, is very sorrowful and shocking.
Your film carefully handles a very sensitive topic. Is the sexual subject of the film a controversial theme in Iran today ?
Undoubtedly, traditional religious societies in the Middle East, especially Iran, which are extremely sensitive to the gender spectrum, always impose severe restrictions on queers. These restrictions are so high in Iran that the secretary of the Tehran Film Festival announced in the media that the movie “Panah” can not be accepted into this festival (Tehran Film Festival) because it deals with the queer community.
How would you describe your directing art style ?
My filmmaking style is closer to neorealism and classical, but I try to use a combination of various styles.
What is the goal of this film ?
The purpose of this film is to reconcile people with each other regardless of differences and identity labels. What a lot of times when a look of affection and unconditional acceptance of each other caused happiness and hope for life in someone. Let us learn that today's gender identity is not 0 or 100 but it is a range where we should respect different identities, and love and respect everyone regardless of their identity label.
What is the message the audience should convey leaving the screening of your film ?
Respect and love for all human beings without judging and paying attention to gender, ethnic or national identity.
Did you and your team face any difficulties while shooting your project ?
Fortunately, the professional and empathetic crew was one of the strong points of the film. I only wish we had more filming and technical facilities.
Any future projects incoming ? Along with personal aspirations.
Yes. Currently, we are researching a project about the identity of the environment focused on the Hyrcanian forests in the north of Iran, and we are writing the screenplay for it.
Photo of Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian
That was the interview with our beloved creators Sana Norouzbaki and Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian. Our community is rising everyday, new talented filmakers and screenwriters get onboard. Be sure to check the rest of our interviews and why not schedule one for yourself to promote your work. To publish an interview simply submit on the INTERVIEW OF YOUR FILM category on our Filmfreeway page.
