25th Houston Iranian Film Festival: Disappearance (Napadid shodan)

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Houston Iranian Film Festival, established by the MFAH and Rice Cinema. January 19 – February 3, 2018. Screenings take place at both venues, as well as at Asia Society Texas Center.

Disappearance (Napadid shodan)

Director – Ali Asgari
Released – 2017
Language – Farsi with English subtitles
Running Time – 89 minutes

Set over the course of one long night, teen couple Sara and Hamed visits a series of hospitals, terrified that their first romantic encounter may have dire consequences. However, none of the doctors will provide Sara with medical attention she needs without the presence of a parent. Their desperation increases as the couple must hide what is happening from their parents, resulting in an expanding web of lies that changes their lives forever.

Praising the strong performances by the young lead actors, the Toronto International Film Festival observed that the film “shows us the complex reality of Iran’s strict cultural mores while casting a compassionate gaze upon the resilience of youth.”

Director’s Statement
In this film I am going to show the picture of a young generation, in a semi-traditional society, struggling to discover its identity. I like the audience to think about the lack of communication and effects of family limitations. Nowadays, the majority of the older generation in Iran likes to respect the traditions, while at the same time the majority of the younger generation is trying to overcome these same traditions, and the differences between these two points of view create a lot of conflicts and stories. These stories have always been important for me, especially because I experienced this kind of situations myself. I have tried to narrate them in my previous short films and some of the characters I created are still alive, and their stories are not yet finished in my mind. I would like to explore them some more.