Once Upon a Time in Shiraz (روزی روزگاری در شیراز)
Qumra Projects
Hamed Zolfaghari / Feature Documentary / Iran, France, Norway, South Korea, Qatar
In Azerbaijani, Farsi
Genres: Drama
Rated: This film has not been rated.
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Synopsis
Valioallah and his wife, Dorna, are living out the final years of their nomadic life in the south of Iran. Their three sons study in Shiraz city and are reluctant to continue their parents' lifestyle. The story commences on the day when thieves steal twelve sheep from the family herd. Dorna notifies the police, and with the help of a local tracker, Valioallah locates where the culprits have hidden some of the animals. Valioallah and his son Yashar retrieve the animals, sparking a family discussion. This incident unveils a generational conflict between the sons and their parents.
Sassan, the eldest, voices dissatisfaction with their lifestyle and urges them to settle in the city. The parents defend the ancestral nomadic tradition as their means of livelihood. Eventually, the thief is apprehended, and following Qashqai tradition, elders convene to seek his forgiveness. To reach their summer grazing lands, the Qashqai must traverse the perilous highways of Shiraz. Sassan resolves to assist his family in leading the herds through the ancient Qashqai route, a less hazardous path traversing the city to avert further losses. After getting lost in the city streets, nomadic and modern cultures converge in Shiraz as the animals gradually infiltrate the urban landscape. In a dreamlike scene, animals find refuge in unexpected urban spaces, like monuments and commercial areas.
About the Director
Hamed Zolfaghari is an Iranian filmmaker based in Tehran. He is the founder of Crazy Woodpecker Film Studio and has made six documentary films, which he wrote, directed, and partly produced. His works have been showcased on international and national platforms and festivals. 'Women of the Sun: A Chronology of Seeing' is his first feature documentary, which won the first prize in Docs in Progress at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece in 2017 and premiered at Hot Docs in Canada in 2020 in the feature-length competition. It was also released on Arte France's La Lucarne programme.
Credits
- Director
- Hamed Zolfaghari
- Screenwriter
- Hamed Zolfaghari
- Producer
- Hamed Zolfaghari, Valérianne Boué, Verona Meier, Wonil Lee
- Production Company
- Crazy Woodpecker Film Studio (Iran), Les Films d'ici (France)