Iranian Director Ali Asgari on Travel Ban Doc ‘Higher Than Acidic Clouds’ and Rejecting ‘Victimization’: ‘Why Don’t You Just Let Me Make Films?’
variety.comRafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor After premiering “Terrestrial Verses” at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, Iranian director Ali Asgari returned home to Tehran to find out he was banned from traveling for eight months, as well as having his personal belongings confiscated by the government authorities for weeks.
The result of that period of uncertainty and introspection is the documentary “Higher Than Acidic Clouds,” having its world premiere as part of the Envision Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
The autobiographical essay — shot in Tehran in nine days — zooms in on Asgari as he grapples with long-buried memories reignited by an enforced period of disconnection from the world, reflecting on his time living in Italy and embarking on frank conversations with his family.
It is important to mention that, in recent years, several Iranian filmmakers have been forbidden by the country’s strict government from leaving the country to attend festival premieres of their films.
Read more on variety.com
