Beyond Borders: innovative shorts by Iranian artists

For the winter edition, Asian Movie Night comes back with an exciting shorts programme ‘Beyond Borders’ curated by Marzieh Rasekh and Baran Sedighian! ‘Beyond Borders’ explores diverse, untold stories from Iran, moving beyond the narrow portrayals of the country as either a victim or villain and offering a more joyful, self-affirming and creative view. Through films, workshops and talks, the programme sheds light on the unique narrative and visual expressions of Iranian creators who, despite the challenging political and social landscapes, continue to use art to advocate for social justice and facilitate intercultural dialogue and coalitional thinking. 

The film selection explores serious themes like war, trauma, migration and women's rights while deploying humour, imagination, personal experiences and childhood memories to reflect on these issues, thus, making it universally relatable. Through innovative techniques like stop-motion and mixed media, these films push the boundaries of visual storytelling and offer a fresh perspective on Iranian life, beyond the headlines and borders. 

Join us for a Q&A with Sara Rajaei after the premiere in Cavia on 11 January 2025! At 14.00, there will also be an AMN Kids Workshop: Yalda-Night in Stop-Motion Animation.

Guest Curator -  Marzieh Rasekh: A talented 2D animator/Illustrator from Iran, Marzieh combines traditional animation styles with digital techniques. Her animations “Let’s Play(2024)” and “More(2017)” have received nominations at various festivals, alongside her commercial projects in advertising.
Guest Curator -  Baran Sedighian: An Iranian filmmaker and producer, Baran immigrated to the Netherlands in 2022 to pursue her second Master's in Animation. Her graduation animation, "The Deer," has been selected for multiple prestigious festivals. Currently, she is also working on her next animation and completing a film producer fellowship.

De Uitkijk 29.01, 19.00 Poetry Performance + Film Screening

Poetry Perfromance by Honey Kazerooni In this poetry performance artist Honey Kazerooni combines sound, meaning and visual artistry to bridge cultural gaps and showcase the beauty of Persian poetry. You will hear poems by Persian Icons like Rumi and Hafez in original Persian and then in English, accompanied by sounds and visuals with Persian calligraphy and minimalist designs. Persian poetry has historically carried a profound cultural and artistic weight. During times when many forms of art were banned in Iran, poetry became a vessel for artistic expression, embedding elements of visual, musical, and literary art within its verses. This resilience has made Persian poetry not only a form of literature but also a significant cultural artifact. In this Poetry Performance, I want to present how Persian poetry was carrying different arts in itself.

Datum: 11-01-2025 & 29-01-2025
Locatie: Diverse locaties, o.a. Cavia en De Uitkijk
Meer informatie: https://www.instagram.com/asian.movie.night/