Tehran, Under the Skin

In 1982, when the Russian invasion of Afghanistan was at its peak, more than 1.5 million inhabitants had to move to Iran looking for a new life. Taghi, born in Iran, wants to escape the ruthless discriminations Afghans are subjected to on a daily basis. Against all odds, he decides to move back to the country of his parents. But unexpected challenges await there for him.

Afghan documentary maker Najiba Noori offers not only a loving and intimate portrait of her mother Hawa, but also shows in detail how the arduous improvement of the position of women is undone by geopolitical violence. The film follows the fortunes of Noori’s family, who belong to the Hazaras, an ethnic group that has suffered greatly from discrimination and persecution.

Laborers during the day, rock musicians during the night, three Afghan boys and a girl born and raised in Iran, go on a journey to perform their first rock concert ever in a war-torn motherland they have never seen: Afghanistan.

Mahmoud Dowlatabadi is one of the most prolific Iranian novelists. In this beautiful, poetic portrait, gracefully crafted by his filmmaker daughter Sara Dolatabadi, he reflects on his life throughout the turbulent 20th century. Meanwhile, his daughter manages to create her own images of a father who is full of luminous ideas, yet also somewhat peculiar and lonely.

The filmmaker's sister, Nasreen, a housewife with two children, is married to a traditional and often unavailable husband. Despite the restrictions on women in Iran, she decides to pursue her lifelong dream of singing.

Six Iranian directors examine, one after the other, a place in Iran, France, or Germany. The places and the stories enter into a dialogue with each other and deal with living conditions in today's Iran, social and economic struggles, but also identities in exile, and places of longing.

Loss and longing in a sensual tale of nostalgia for a place you’ve never really been to.