A trans man and his partner travel to a remote Iranian village to face his estranged father and obtain documents that would permit them to live authentically, in visionary director Farnoosh Samadi’s bold queer love story.
A window into the burgeoning underground queer community of Iran, Between Dreams and Hope centres on a young pair with dreams like many others — to live joyfully without restrictions on their love. Azad (Fereshteh Hosseini), a trans man, and his partner Nora (Sadaf Asgari) thrive amongst like-minded friends, a haven of self-expression and acceptance, in bustling Tehran. They live blissfully, but when Azad takes steps towards medically transitioning, he is troubled to learn that his estranged father must grant his permission or the process would be halted indefinitely. Although wary, the couple travel to Azad’s hometown to plead their case to his family. The return is not welcome, and when Azad disappears during a row, Nora must find her lover, with little assistance or care from the local authorities.
With this stunning and unspeakably brave entrant into the queer canon, Farnoosh Samadi (180° Rule, TIFF ’20) highlights the supreme tension between Iran’s so-called radical youth who engage with queer identity and feminist ideals — amongst other revolutions such as the ongoing “Women, Life, Freedom” movement — and the restrictive violence of conservative generations supported by the overarching regime. Harnessing daring and memorable performances from Hosseini and Asgari, and shooting even the most despairing moments with empathy, Samadi’s eye is gripping and sincere. As the stakes escalate, the film balances a tragic potential outcome with deep-rooted love, never absolving hatred as a thing of the past and crucially, never submitting to desolation in the face of tyranny.
DOROTA LECH
Screenings
TIFF Lightbox 3
Scotiabank 10
Scotiabank 7
Scotiabank 9
Scotiabank 5