The Female Gaze
Sima’s Song / Sima’s Song
Screening Schedule
Screening 1
- 16th December
- 8.00 pm
- audi 4
Screening 2
- 19th December
- 5.45 pm
- Sree Padmanabha
Roya Sadat
Director's bio
Roya Sadat
"Roya Sadat, born in 1983 in Herat, Afghanistan, is a pioneering Afghan film producer and director. She is recognized as the first woman director in the history of Afghan cinema in the post-Taliban era. Sadat's work often focuses on themes of injustice and the restrictions imposed on women, making her a significant voice in Afghan cinema. She made her debut with the feature film ""Three Dots"" (2003), which received international acclaim. Her most famous film, ""A Letter to the President"" (2017), has won numerous awards. In addition to her filmmaking, Sadat co-founded the Roya Film House with her sister Alka Sadat, producing over 30 documentaries, feature films, and TV series. She is also involved in directing the opera ""A Thousand Splendid Suns"" for the Seattle Opera"
Synopsis
Suraya and her inseparable friend, the talented singer Sima, try to cope in Afghanistan‘s unsta- ble political landscape at the end of the 1970ies. From university halls to intimate gatherings, their contrasting visions of freedom clash and converge: Suraya, a wealthy advocate for commu- nism, blinded by it‘s promise of equality, assumes a pivotal role within the pro-Russian faction, while Sima, a humble, conservative Muslim, skeptical of political power games, seeks refuge in tradition and gets married. Despite their differences, their shared conviction to women‘s rights still binds them in sisterhood.
Details of Cast
Niloufar Koukhani as Sima Mozhdah Jamalzadah as Suraya Max Grosse Majench as Maxim Leena Alam as Rokshana Nelofer Pazira as Suraya (65) Aziz Deldar as Zeyarmal Paeman Arianfar as Wahab Lena Spirou as Singer Protest Zahra Rahimi as Seema Gholam Mohammad Morad as Dean
Details of Crew
Music: Xavi Font Cinematography: Ton Peters Sound: Frédéric Cattoni, Chia-Chi Chang
Producer Details
Maria Drandaki, Frank Hoeve, Vicky Miha, Maéva Savinien, Alba Sotorra
Writer Details
Roya Sadat, Aziz Deildar, Roellof Jan Minneboo
Stills
Films in this category
2024
Hanami
2024
Moon
2024
When the Phone Rang
2024
Desert of Namibia
2024
Loveable
2024
Holy Cow
Categories
- International Competition (14)
- Homage (4)
- World Cinema (63)
- Country Focus (7)
- Indian Cinema Now (7)
- Kaleidoscope (6)
- Malayalam Cinema Today (12)
- Restored Classics (7)
- Jury Films (5)
- Opening Film (1)
- Spirit of Cinema (1)
- Ann Hui: Chronicler of the Outliers (5)
- Signatures In Motion (3)
- Midnight Cinema (3)
- Festival Favourites (13)
- Viva el Cine: Latin American Films (5)
- Refracted Realities : The Existential Mindscapes of Hong Sang-soo (4)
- Chiaroscuro : Retrospective of Madhu Ambat (4)
- Celebrating Shabana Azmi (5)
- Centennial Tribute (3)
