“Bidad”, an interview with director Soheil Beiraghi

“Seti loves music and singing, and she yearns for her voice to be heard. But in Iran, it is against the law for women to perform in public, and so the young girl decides to engage in her own personal protest. The street becomes her stage, and random passers-by become her enthusiastic audience. Her star rises. Seti becomes an idol of her generation, of young people who no longer want to live under ruthless political oppression.” (Anna Kořínek, KVIFF official website)

Soheil Beiraghi‘s fourth feature, “Bidad“, was officially the twelfth title to join the Crystal Globe Competition of the 59th Karlovy Vary IFF, as the organisers only unveiled its selection a few days before the festival, to make sure that he and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran, especially knowing that Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during the shoot, also pointing out that ‘Bidad was made as an independent production; otherwise, it would never have been approved by the censors because of its critical tone.’

Beiraghi has been portraying strong female characters since his 2016 debut feature, bearing the ultimate self-assertive title of “I“, starring Leila Hatami (“A Separation“). If this first film also had a successful national release, both “Cold Sweat” (2018), an international festival darling and a three-prize winner at the Fajr Film Festival followingthe captain of the Iranian women’s national football team, and “Popular” (2020), on a female divorcee who wants to start a new life, were banned in Iran, the latter not even getting a public screening.

The title of “Bidad“, in which Seti, a young, Gen Z female singer who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to sing in public defies her country’s religious laws, and starts performing in the street, refers at the same time to oppression, lament, and outcry.

In our conversation with Beiraghi – who not only wrote and directed, but also co-edited and produced his film, and supervised the art department –, we discuss the image of Teheran and Iran presented in the film as opposed to the old-fashioned, lifeless notion of it the international public generally sees. Elaborating on Seti’s trajectory of self-assertion, the director also underlines the universal aspect of his character’s search for identity and youthful energy. The beautiful innocence of her budding friendship with the unconventional, contagiously carefree boy-who-doesn’t-tell-his-name is also mentioned.

Beiraghi, who intends to continue to make films no matter what restrictions he may face, also points out how Seti’s need to be seen by the world reflects his own.

Alef Pictures, the company through which Beiraghi produced his film, also handles international sales.

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