Mohammad Askari

LARISSA tells the story of a young Afghan refugee girl sold—along with her family—to a powerful landowner, Davood Kan, in Iran. Forced into backbreaking work alongside dozens of undocumented migrants, Larissa’s intelligence and beauty draw the landowner’s attention. Pulled from the fields, she is promised protection and privilege — but at a devastating cost. When she resists his escalating abuse, the illusion of safety shatters. What begins as a quiet attempt to endure becomes a perilous struggle for dignity. Told through a raw and intimate lens, LARISSA is not just the story of one girl but a reflection of countless hidden lives. It confronts the exploitation, silence, and systemic violence faced by Afghan refugees in Iran and other countries, while honoring the resilience of those who refuse to be erased.

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse.

A documentary about the life and works of the maestros of Imaginary Painting School who made Iranian popular old style Khialisazi or Coffee-House Painting.