Sepideh Farsi (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: سپیده فارسی; born 1965) is an Iranian director.

Early years

Farsi left Iran in 1984 and went to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to study

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

. However, eventually she was drawn to the

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

and initially experimented in

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

before making her first short

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

. A main theme of her works is

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

. She still visits Tehran each year.

Awards/Recognition

Farsi was a Member of the Jury of the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

in Best First Feature in 2009. She won the

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

Prize (2002),

Cinéma du Réel Cinéma du Réel (Cinema of the Real) is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information (Public Information Library) in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per ye ...

and Traces de Vie prize (2001) for "Homi D. Sethna, filmmaker" and Best documentary prize in

Festival dei Popoli A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

(2007) for "HARAT".

Recent News

One of her latest films is called ''Tehran Bedoune Mojavez'' (Tehran Without Permission). The 83-minute documentary shows life in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

's crowded capital city of

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

, facing international sanctions over its nuclear ambitions and experiencing civil unrest. It was shot entirely with a

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camera phone A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture photographs and often record video using one or more built-in digital cameras. It can also send the resulting image wirelessly and conveniently. The first commercial phone with color cam ...

because of the government restrictions over shooting a film. The film shows various aspects of city life including following women at the hairdressers talking of the latest

fad A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse for a short period. Fads are objects or behaviors that achieve short- ...

s, young men speaking of

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

and other societal problems, and the Iranian rapper “ Hichkas”. The dialogue is in

with

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

subtitles. In December 2009, ''Tehran Without Permission'' was shown at the Dubai International Film Festival.http://www.dubaifilmfest.com/en/films-explorer/?id=4771&filmname=TEHRAN%20BEDOUNE%20MOJAVEZ%20%28TEHRAN%20WITHOUT%20PERMISSION%29 Dubai Film Festival website

Filmography

# Red Rose (2014) # Cloudy Greece (2013) # Zire Âb / The house under the water (2010) # Tehran bedoune mojavez / Tehran without permission (2009) # If it were Icarus (2008) # Harat (2007) # Negah / The Gaze (2006) # Khab-e khak / Dreams of Dust (2003) # Safar-e Maryam / The journey of Maryam (2002) # Mardan-e Atash / Men of Fire (2001) # Homi D. Sethna, filmmaker (2000) # Donya khaneye man ast / The world is my home (1999) # Khabe Âb / Water dreams (1997) # Bâd-e shomal / Northwind (1993)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farsi, Sepideh Iranian women film directors Iranian film directors Iranian documentary filmmakers Iranian expatriates in France 1965 births Living people Iranian diaspora film people Women documentary filmmakers