In early June, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival announced eleven films that will be vying for the main prize in the festival’s Crystal Globe Competition. The twelfth film, Iran’s Bidad, remained secret to protect the safety of the film’s delegation.
At Karlovy Vary, director Soheil Beiraghi will present the world premiere of his story of the young singer Seti who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. In defiance of her country’s religious laws, she decides to sing in the street. Her performances quickly gain in popularity, and Seti becomes a star for a young generation that no longer wants to be oppressed by the regime.
Bidad was made as an independent production; otherwise, it would never have been approved by the censors because of its critical tone. Even so, director Soheil Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during filming. It was necessary to withhold announcement of the film’s inclusion in the festival’s program until he and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran. A few days ago, the festival team was overjoyed to hear that they were on their way, and so we now can announce the full Crystal Globe Competition with all twelve participating films
