The Henry is pleased to co-present two film screenings as part of the “Teller of Truth: Women, Cinema, Freedom” series of events coordinated by the University of Washington’s Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures in honor of renowned “Godmother of Iranian cinema” Rakhshan Bani-Eʿtemad. Join us for a screening of Our Times and conversation with Dr. Nagmeh Samini.
What do demands for social justice and political change in the Islamic Republic of Iran tell us about its society? The first anniversary of the Kurdish-inspired and female-led revolutionary movement known as Women, Life, Freedom gives occasion to address this question by revisiting the cinematic works of Rakhshan Bani-Eʿtemad, whose films unapologetically focus on poverty, patriarchy, and political participation with courage and nuance. Our Times (2002), her award-winning documentary, tells two stories: the ventures of a young and dynamic generation eligible to vote for the first time and the unlikely and crushing story of a working class single mother who runs for president. The interplay of hope and despair, Bani-Eʿtemad reminds us here, is a constant in the ongoing fight for democratic governance in Iran, and in the world.
Naghmeh Samini (PhD) is a playwright, scriptwriter, and affiliate professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the UW. She earned her PhD in Art Studies at Tehran’s University of Tarbiat Modares. Her plays have been staged in Iran, France, India, the US, and other countries, including
Sleeping in an Empty Cup, Sky Horses Rain Ashes, and most recently,
The Forgotten History of Mastaneh, staged in Seattle. Her screenplays, including
Main Line, directed by Rakhshan Bani-Eʿtemad, have won awards.
One of Iran’s most celebrated filmmakers, Rakhshan Bani-Eʿtemad has made wide-ranging and courageous films that tackle issues such as poverty, addiction, and misogyny. In addition to making successful feature films such as Under the Skin of the City (2001), which won the special jury award at the Seattle International Film Festival, Bani-Eʿtemad has also made acclaimed documentaries. Our Times (2002) was the first documentary ever to be released in movie theaters in Iran, and it was broadcast on the Franco-German television network ARTE and shown at prestigious festivals such as the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the Sundance Film Festival.