Filmmakers from Iran and Iraq came together at an IFFI press conference to present two films. Despite differing cinematic traditions, both teams highlighted how censorship shapes the daily lives of ordinary people.
Representing Iran’s My Daughter’s Hair (Raha), which is competing for Best Debut Feature, director Seyed Hesam Farahmand Joo said the film draws from his own experiences and reflects the struggles of Iranian women. Producer Saeid Khaninamaghi noted that sanctions have eroded Iran’s middle class.
For Iraq’s The President’s Cake, vying for the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal, editor Alexandru-Radu Radu described the film’s use of non-professional actors to portray life under dictatorship in the 1990s. Inspired by a dictator’s forced celebrations, the film follows young Lamia, a symbolic figure for Iraq’s suffering under sanctions.
