Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and the Karestan Documentary Film Project: Screening and Q&A

For this special screening of two of the Karestan Documentary films, The Poets of Life and Puzzleys , we will have the honour of welcoming the world renowned and award-winning Iranian filmmaker, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, prominent documentary filmmaker and producer, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and documentary filmmaker, Shirin Barghnavard to SOAS University of London.

Each Karestan documentary follows people who have played and continue to play an integral role in transforming notions of social responsibility and entrepreneurship in contemporary Iran despite hostile circumstances. These are stories of Iranian entrepreneurs (men and women) who, both in big and small terms, take risks and change their lives and those of others by creating innovative ideas and values. Their impact, although confined to a small scale and within a limited and local geography, has brought about an inspiring atmosphere for change.

For more information visit the Karestan Project along with a short film on the project here .

The screening event will take place on the afternoon of Saturday 24 November in the Khalili Lecture Theatre at SOAS with each of the two documentaries followed by a Q&A session with our special guests.

Films in Persian with English subtitles. The discussion will also be in Persian and translated into English.

Admission: £10 (Standard); £5 (Students). To register please visit the SOAS Online Store .

Chair: Saeed Zeydabadi-Nejad (SOAS and The Institute of Ismaili Studies)

Discussant: Roya Arab (City, University of London)

Further information on the documentaries shown at this event:

Poets Of Life
Directed by: Shirin Barghnavard
2017 / 73 mins, Persian with English Subtitles
Poetic portrayal of the life of Shirin Parsi - rice farmer, environmentalist, and social activist.

Puzzleys
Directed by: Mehdi Ganji
2017 / 70 mins, Persian with English Subtitles
Four students from Iran's provinces hit on a novel idea to create a business in which people can make their own apps so set off to the capital Tehran to realize their ambition.

Organised by: Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS, Centre for Global Media and Communications, SOAS and the Centre for Media and Film Studies, SOAS

Sponsored by: Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF)

Contact email: vp6@soas.ac.uk

Contact Tel: 020 7898 4330