Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran: Review

8th May 2021

Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran: Review – This short drama film follows Shima (Mohadeseh Kharaman), a young woman living in Tehran. Shima is the singer of a metal band which due to Iran’s strict laws must remain underground, with practices and concerts being held in secret. After practice one day, one of Shima’s bandmates Farzad (Babak Kamangir) presents a bold plan. He suggests that the band should call the authorities on their own underground concert which means they will be arrested. Farzad believes that news of their arrest will eventually spread worldwide and in turn will garner the band sympathy from other nations. Meaning that after they are released from prison, they will be able to seek asylum in another country. Once there, they will be free to openly pursue their dreams as musicians.

Initially, Shima thoroughly dismisses this plan as it poses too great a risk to both the bandmates and the concertgoers. However, she starts to reconsider when Farzad suggests that this plan would also benefit her sister Sherin (Sarina Amiri). Sherin is deaf and Farzad suggests that as a result of this, Sherin is limited in what she can achieve in Tehran. If however Shima is able to make it to another country, she could eventually bring Sherin to her. The remainder of the film follows Sherin as she contemplates the risks she is willing to take to achieve her dreams, imprisonment and separation from her sister, and questions what is truly motivating her.

Writer/director Farbod Ardebili crafts a thoughtful and layered film despite its short runtime. Within seconds of the film’s opening we get a clear understanding of the risk Shima is taking to simply be in this band. The film opens with men questioning a woman about her appearance as Shima walks past on her way to practice. Immediately the audience is shown the world in which this story takes place and the realities of the consequences of the actions these characters are taking, without bogging down the film with exposition. Ardebili is also unafraid to tackle the complexities and layers of Shima’s character. The film raises questions as to whether Shima’s goal in agreeing to this plan is to provide a better life for her sister, pursue her own goals and ambitions, or something in the middle. By looking at these various facets, the character of Shima feels fully dimensional and realized as opposed to a reductive “musician with a dream” or a “perfect selfless sister.” Farbod Ardebili also contributes original songs to the film which melodically and lyrically perfectly encapsulate the frustration and anger that Shima feels and the freedom performing gives her.

At this film’s center is a phenomenal performance by Mohadeseh Kharaman as Shima. Kharaman makes great use of physicality and line delivery to illustrate the weight and pressure that Shima is under. Even in scenes with no or limited dialogue it is clear to the audience that Shima is torn between her desire to pursue her dreams and the fact that pursuing her dreams means leaving her sister. In a sense this film is about Shima’s struggle to reconcile these two aspects of herself. During the scenes where the band is performing Kharaman shows a whole other side of Shima. A performer who is able to truly express her rage and frustration, but also fulfillment doing what she loves. Sarina Amiri is also fantastic as Sherin, playing someone who clearly loves their sibling and would hate to lose them, but also does not wish to hold them back. The scenes the pair have together feel as though they have a genuine sense of chemistry and history, enabling viewers to easily invest in them despite not knowing everything about them.

The cinematography by Masoud Amini Tirani fits the material perfectly alternating between kinetic tracking shots for the film’s opening and concert scenes to quiet and thoughtful close-ups for the film’s more intimate moments. Throughout the film there is the presence of strong neon lighting which make the shot compositions even more dynamic.

Forbidden to See Us Scream in Tehran is an engaging short film that meditates on the cost of what it takes to pursue your dreams and how it can impact those around you, particularly in certain cultures. Featuring a nuanced script, engaging performances, vibrant cinematography and memorable music, fans of powerful short films should seek this one out.

EDIT: Mohadeseh Kharaman has just won Best Actress at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Facebook

Google

Twitter

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.