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Looking for Oum Kulthum 2017

A fresh take on the traditional biopic, Iranian artist Shirin Neshat’s Looking for Oum Kulthum tells the story of an Iranian artist and filmmaker living in exile as she attempts to tell the story of the legendary Egyptian singer, Oum Kulthum. Described by Neshat as a film within a film, Looking for Oum Kulthum moves seamlessly between the genres of documentary and fiction to present two separate – but interconnected – storylines, both which highlight the challenges faced by women in conservative, male dominated societies.

A poignant and captivating piece of contemporary cinema, Neshat's direction brings a poetic sensibility to the film, through her use of striking imagery and powerful symbolism that heighten the emotional impact of the story.

90 minutes | Ages 15+ | Contains adult themes

Nazarbazi 2022

A collage film made from over 87 cinematic excepts from Iranian cinema, Nazarbazi (the play of glances) by artist and filmmaker Maryam Tafakory is a film about love and desire in Iranian cinema where depictions of intimacy and touch between women and men are prohibited.

After the 1979 revolution, Iran prohibited on-screen depictions of physical exchanges between men and women. Since then, directors have relied on cinematic trickery to mirror the ecstatic release of tension through touch. Nazarbazi collages these saturated cinematic moments into a visual poem about love and desire in Iranian film.

19 minutes | Ages 12+ | Contains mild injury detail