And, Towards Happy Alleys

Synopsis

Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetry of the feminist poet Forough
Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists
of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years
with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani and human rights activist
Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the
regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being
banned from practising their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she
documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on
the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at
the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country. And, Towards
Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran
which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless
generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties.