Achilles

Synopsis

Nicknamed Achilles, Farid (Mirsaeed Molavian), a former filmmaker, now works nights as an orthotist in Iran’s capital. Broken by the only political system his generation has ever known, he is consumed by anger and sorrow. One night, after a colleague’s devastating revelation of losing her son and additionally suffering 26 days before authorities permitted his body to be claimed, Achilles’s apathy begins to crumble. Meanwhile, the administration is cracking down on his lack of rule-following, which leads him to a hospital’s restricted psychiatric ward. There, he meets a sedated patient, handcuffed to her bed: Hedieh (Behdokht Valian), a political prisoner who has been institutionalized for years. Now, with the help of Achilles, she will again experience freedom — which, as those who have lived without it know, is regained at a cost. The duo’s only option is to flee. Shot on location, "Achilles" takes us from Tehran to the dried-up Lake Urmia in Iran’s northwestern province of Shabestar, to the Caspian Sea, and, with authorities in hot pursuit, to Maku, near Turkey’s border. Unbeknownst to Hedieh, who is estranged from her daughter, the journey is not entirely haphazard. Unbeknownst to Farid, his actions will ripple well beyond his own life.

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Screenings

Cast and crew

About the director(s):
Farhad Delaram is an award-winning writer and director who was born in Iran, in 1988. He graduated from the University of Tehran with a master’s degree in cinema and has directed nine independent short films. His short, "Tattoo" won the Crystal Bear award at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) and screened in the Generation 14plus section. "Tattoo" has screened in over 90 film festivals across the globe picking up numerous awards along the way and is part of the Criterion Collection. "Achilles" is his Delaram’s first feature length film and had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Farhad Delaram

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