Original name: (Bandar band/ بندر بند)

Drama, 75 min, 2020,  Iran/Germany

Director & Producer: Manijeh Hekmat

Writer: Manijeh Hekmat, Mostafa Zandi

Cast: Reza Koolghani , Pegah Ahangarani , Amir Hossein Taheri, Mahdieh Mousavi

Synopsis:

After a long time, some Iranian women singers are going to enter an unofficial competition in a coffee shop in Tehran. Pregnant Mahla along with the other members of Bandar Band, her husband and one of their closest friends, starts her journey to Tehran from a southern province just when they have lost all they had in the flood. They still keep their hopes alive, however every road they take leads to a dead-end in a flood-stricken land. They intend to go to Tehran, but they wonder if it is just another turn around a vicious circle.

Director’s Profile:

Born in 1962, Manijeh Hekmat is one of the prominent figures in political cinema in Iran. In 1995, she started her film career as a producer. In 2002, based on her long studies and field-works, Hekmat directed her debut feature, WOMEN’S PRISON, on the situation of Iranian women prisoners. The film was premiered in Venice Film Festival and then entered the festival circuit. In 2007, her second film, THREE WOMEN, was shown in more than 80 international film festivals starting with Berlinale. She has also directed a number of documentaries – most notably NGOS IN IRAN (2003); ME, MY ROOM AND MY FRIENDS (2004); HUNDRED YEARS PARLIAMENT IN IRAN (2005); WOMEN COME OUT OF THE HOUSE (2006); and THE LULLABY (2016).

Up to now, as president of Bamdad Film Company, she has produced 16 feature films– such as THE GIRL IN THE SNEAKERS (1999); THERE ARE THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW (2009); NO ENTRY FOR MEN (2011); CITY OF THE MICE (2014); GAP (2014) – and several shorts and documentaries.

Festivals & Awards:

-Toronto International Film Festival (2020)

Premiere Status: Australian Premiere