Marta Balaga “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.
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