Iranian Director Farahnaz Sharifi Brings Memories to Life With ‘My Stolen Planet’: ‘The Achive Is a Part of My Soul, Part of My Body, Part of My Life’
variety.comSavina Petkova Women dancing, women singing, women burning their hijab: these acts of defiance shape Iranian filmmaker Farahnaz Sharifi’s feature-length debut, “My Stolen Planet.” After premiering in Berlinale’s Panorama section and winning a second place Audience Award, the film now competes for the Golden Alexander at Thessaloniki International Doc Fest.
Prior to her feature, Sharifi made eight shorts while working as an editor for documentaries, including Firouzeh Khosrovani’s IDFA winning “Radiograph of a Family.” Using the essayistic style of a diary, “My Stolen Planet” presents the joy and vivaciousness in contrast with the regimented oppression in Tehran using both the director’s personal archives and 8mm recordings of strangers’ lives.
The film is produced by Anke Petersen and Lilian Tietjen of JYOTI Film and co-produced by Farzad Pak of PakFilm, who was behind the Golden Bear winner “There Is No Evil,” directed by Mohammad Rasoulof.
CAT&Docs is in charge of the film’s world sales. Speaking to Variety, Sharifi says the titular metaphor came “from the dual life we lead in Iran: There’s their planet and then there’s our planet.” The filmmaker was born in 1979, during the Islamic revolution in Iran, and has since heard stories of a different society, a different life.
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