Starless Dreams Documentary
Starless Dreams is a 2016 Iranian documentary film, Directed by Mehrdad Oskouei.[1]
Synopsis
The film follows a group of under 18-year-old girls taken into care for a variety of reasons ranging from drug dealing and trafficking, to pick-pocketing and manslaughter. We gradually get to know what brought them there. Though bored with their incarcerated life, they are, nevertheless, scared about what might happen to them once outside. As the New Year approaches they all hope to celebrate it with their families.
Director’s statement
"Having already produced and directed documentaries about male juvenile delinquency, I decided to continue with one about the female variety. It took seven years to finally get permission to start filming and the result is the very first movie about girls in the correctional and rehabilitation centres of Iran. The film tries to act as the voice of voiceless innocent girls whose mistreatment and bad upbringing led them to a life of delinquency. I personally think that we as a society are guiltier than the girls in question and hope that my film will help change our attitude towards them."
Crew
- Written and Directed by: Mehrdad Oskouei
- Director of Photography: Mohammad Hadadi
- Editing: Amir Adibparvar
- Music: Afshin Azizi
- Sound Recorder: Parsa Karimi
- Sound Mixer: Hossein Mahdavi
- Production Manager: Vahid Hajiloei
- Producer: Mehrdad Oskouei
- Production Company: Oskouei Film Production
- Shooting format: Full HD
- Screening format: DCP
- Sound: 5.1
- Ratio: 16:9
- Original version: Persian
- Subtitled in: English
- Running Time: 76min
- Year: 2016
- Documentary – Colour – 76min – 2016 – Iran.
Festivals
- 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany. February 11-21, 2016.
- 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, USA. March 3-6, 2016.
- 17th Tempo Documentary Festival, Stockholm, Sweden. March 7-13, 2016.« TOP DOCS » Non Competitive Festival
- 18th One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic. March 7-16, 2016.
- Griffin 7, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusett, USA. March 8, 2016.
- 18th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Greece. March 11-20, 2016.
- Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Mexico. March 31-June 2, 2016.
- Middle East Now Festival, Florence, Italy. April 5-10, 2016.
- 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, USA. April 7-10, 2016.
- Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto, Canada. April 28-May 8, 2016.
Awards
- Winner of : *Amnesty International Film Prize* at the 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany, 2016.
- Winner of : *True Vision Award* for *Mehrdad Oskouei* at the 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, USA, 2016.
- Winner of : *The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award*
- Winner of : *The Full Frame Inspiration Award* at the 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, USA, 2016.
Director’s biography
Independent producer, filmmaker, photographer and researcher. Oskouei was born in Tehran, Iran in 1969. He has a B.A. in film direction from the University of Arts, starting in the theatre in 1981 and the film world in 1988. Most of his films have been shown at respected festivals both at home and abroad with many receiving critical acclaim. His films have received over 90 awards from national and international festivals makes him one of the most outstanding Iranian documentary makers. In 2010, Oskouei received the Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands for his achievements. His film The Last Days of Winter has been released in France in 2013 with successes.
Filmography
Feature Films
- 2016: Starless Dreams (Full HD) Colour, 76 min.
- 2011: The Last Days of Winter (HDV) Colour, 52 min.
- 2009: The Taste of Iran (Episode 1 & 4) (HDV) Colour, 52 min. each
- 2007: It’s Always Late for Freedom (DVcam) Colour, 52 min.
- 2005: Nose, Iranian Style (DVcam) Colour, 52 min.
- 2005: Thin Ray of Light(Dvcam) Colour, 26 min.
- 2005: Maryam of Hengam Island (DVcam) Colour, 26 min.
- 2004: The Other Side of Burka (DVcam) Colour, 52 min.
- 2002: The Widower (DVcam) Colour, 18 min.
- 2002: I Can’t Remember Anything About Afghanistan (DVcam) Colour, 18 min.
- 2001: Caresser of Light (DVcam) Colour, 15 min.
- 2001: Look at Me (DVcam) Colour, 15 min.
- 2001: The Eclipse (co-director: Ebrahim Saeedi) (Betacam) Colour, 14 min.
- 2000: My Mother’s Home, Lagoon (Betacam) Colour, 29 min.
- 1997: The New Year For Tribe (Betacam) Colour, 15 min.
- 1996: Saochi (co-director: Reza Yazdani) (Betacam) Colour, 15 min.