Bandar Band

Manijeh Hekmat’s latest film is a road movie that takes us on a journey through the southwestern Khuzestan province in Iran. The whole area is flooded, and we follow Navid, Amir and the very pregnant Mahla on the road to Tehran, where their band is to participate in a music competition. Even though parts of the road are completely under water, and endless other obstacles and detours, the group is in good spirits as they sing their way through an almost impossible journey.

Bandar Band is an homage to Iranian scenery and music. It is a deeply metaphorical film, using masses of water as a symbol for a tough reality for contemporary Iranian artists. It is filled with hope, always moving, where dreams try to escape reality. Mahla, Amir and Navid dream of a world tour and an Iran where the water is drained, and the roads open up for a brighter future.

Abirami Logendran

Director

Manijeh Hekmat (b. 1962) is an award-winning director and producer from Iran. Her debut Women's Prison (2002) has been screened at more than 80 international film festivals. Hekmat has since directed and produced several critically acclaimed films, including both documentaries and feature films. Bandar Band is her fifth directorial effort.