FAMILY PORTRAIT presents a compelling program of personal works by filmmakers who courageously turn the lens on their own families, revealing the resulting fractures that shape the fabric of their personal identities. Through these films, the filmmakers embark on a journey of excavation, unearthing their family histories and sharing intimate narratives that illuminate the interplay between individual stories and the broader cultural and political contexts in which they unfold.
Yto Barrada's Hand Me Downs combines blurry vintage amateur videos from private family albums from the 1960 to skillfully construct 16 myths of biographical identities that reflect the fractures of a changing colonial era.
A Radiograph of a Family by Firouzeh Khosrovani intimately explores the filmmaker's own family history in Iran, unraveling the complexities of her parents' lives against the backdrop of shifting political landscapes, from the Shah's regime to the Islamic revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. Through photographs, archive footage, and letters, she uncovers the fractures and transformations that rippled through her family, reflecting how Iranian cultural struggles between tradition and modernization fractured her family and personal identity.
In Echolocation by Nadia Shihab, distant and nearby voices merge to create a layered exploration of family memories. Through recorded voice messages and stacked photographs, Shihab constructs a poetic narrative that transcends time and space, reflecting on loss and change.
Together these filmmakers offer a portrait of their families, portraying how the broader sociopolitical context shaped their identities.
Radiograph of a Family, Firouzeh Khosrovani, 2020,109 min.
Farsi & French Subtitles English, Norwegian, French with English subtitles
My mother married my father ́s photograph in Tehran. He was studying radiology in Switzerland, and for mother to come and live with him, marriage was obligatory. For my mother, with her religious background, living in Europe was a challenge. Sin was everywhere. My father came from a liberal and secular family. He was a lover of culture, fine arts, classical music. My mother never understood how he for example could treasure a painting depicting nude bodies. After I was born, we moved from Switzerland back to Tehran. Shortly after, the Revolution happened and changed everything upside down. My mother found new reason and new identity, an important space for herself: She became a religious activist, school principal and did military training. My father sat quietly in his favorite chair at home and listened to Bach. In our house, there were no more card playing or red wine. My mother ́s prayer mat, and my prayer mat, were placed next to each other in the living room, by the window. Photographs of women without hijab, were ripped apart. My mother censored the past - while my father dreamt of a different future. I was torn between my two parents. Our family was split. For a little girl, it was difficult and painful. As my identity developed, I carried both of them inside me. I still do, till this day. I am the result of Iran ́s struggle between tradition and modernization. My story is told through photographs, archive footage, letters and voices. Our home in Tehran becomes a metaphor of the shifts in our family, hence in modern Iranian society.
About the filmmaker
Born in Tehran, Firouzeh Khosrovani settled in Italy to pursue her artistic studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. After graduating in 2002 she returned to Iran and acquired her Master’s degree in Journalism. Since then, she has contributed to, and collaborated with numerous Italian newspapers and magazines. She made her debut as a filmmaker in 2004 with Life Train, a documentary on the ‘play’ therapy provided ...
- Year2020
- Runtime109 minutes
- LanguageFrench, Persian
- CountryIran
- DirectorFirouzeh Khosrovani
- ScreenwriterFirouzeh Khosrovani
- ProducerFabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
- Co-ProducerMajid Barzegar, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Joël Louis Jent, Janne Hjeltnes
- CinematographerMohammad Reza Jahanpanah
- EditorFarahnaz Sharifi, Jila Ipakchi, Rainer Maria Trinkler
FAMILY PORTRAIT presents a compelling program of personal works by filmmakers who courageously turn the lens on their own families, revealing the resulting fractures that shape the fabric of their personal identities. Through these films, the filmmakers embark on a journey of excavation, unearthing their family histories and sharing intimate narratives that illuminate the interplay between individual stories and the broader cultural and political contexts in which they unfold.
Yto Barrada's Hand Me Downs combines blurry vintage amateur videos from private family albums from the 1960 to skillfully construct 16 myths of biographical identities that reflect the fractures of a changing colonial era.
A Radiograph of a Family by Firouzeh Khosrovani intimately explores the filmmaker's own family history in Iran, unraveling the complexities of her parents' lives against the backdrop of shifting political landscapes, from the Shah's regime to the Islamic revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. Through photographs, archive footage, and letters, she uncovers the fractures and transformations that rippled through her family, reflecting how Iranian cultural struggles between tradition and modernization fractured her family and personal identity.
In Echolocation by Nadia Shihab, distant and nearby voices merge to create a layered exploration of family memories. Through recorded voice messages and stacked photographs, Shihab constructs a poetic narrative that transcends time and space, reflecting on loss and change.
Together these filmmakers offer a portrait of their families, portraying how the broader sociopolitical context shaped their identities.
Radiograph of a Family, Firouzeh Khosrovani, 2020,109 min.
Farsi & French Subtitles English, Norwegian, French with English subtitles
My mother married my father ́s photograph in Tehran. He was studying radiology in Switzerland, and for mother to come and live with him, marriage was obligatory. For my mother, with her religious background, living in Europe was a challenge. Sin was everywhere. My father came from a liberal and secular family. He was a lover of culture, fine arts, classical music. My mother never understood how he for example could treasure a painting depicting nude bodies. After I was born, we moved from Switzerland back to Tehran. Shortly after, the Revolution happened and changed everything upside down. My mother found new reason and new identity, an important space for herself: She became a religious activist, school principal and did military training. My father sat quietly in his favorite chair at home and listened to Bach. In our house, there were no more card playing or red wine. My mother ́s prayer mat, and my prayer mat, were placed next to each other in the living room, by the window. Photographs of women without hijab, were ripped apart. My mother censored the past - while my father dreamt of a different future. I was torn between my two parents. Our family was split. For a little girl, it was difficult and painful. As my identity developed, I carried both of them inside me. I still do, till this day. I am the result of Iran ́s struggle between tradition and modernization. My story is told through photographs, archive footage, letters and voices. Our home in Tehran becomes a metaphor of the shifts in our family, hence in modern Iranian society.
About the filmmaker
Born in Tehran, Firouzeh Khosrovani settled in Italy to pursue her artistic studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. After graduating in 2002 she returned to Iran and acquired her Master’s degree in Journalism. Since then, she has contributed to, and collaborated with numerous Italian newspapers and magazines. She made her debut as a filmmaker in 2004 with Life Train, a documentary on the ‘play’ therapy provided ...
- Year2020
- Runtime109 minutes
- LanguageFrench, Persian
- CountryIran
- DirectorFirouzeh Khosrovani
- ScreenwriterFirouzeh Khosrovani
- ProducerFabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
- Co-ProducerMajid Barzegar, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Joël Louis Jent, Janne Hjeltnes
- CinematographerMohammad Reza Jahanpanah
- EditorFarahnaz Sharifi, Jila Ipakchi, Rainer Maria Trinkler