My Stolen Planet

SYNOPSIS

Using the essayistic style of a diary, MY STOLEN PLANET (dir. Farahnaz Sharifi) traces how the Islamic Revolution changed life for women in Iran. Born in 1979 shortly after the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty, Farah draws on personal archives and found 8mm recordings of strangers’ lives to show moments of private joy and public defiance under the regimented oppression in Tehran. Throughout, she portrays Iranian women with humanity and complexity, sharing her love for her country’s textures while refusing to be diminished by repressive religious and government structures.

A collective representation of women’s lives in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the film is also characterized by personal intimacy. The filmmaker’s connection with Leyla, an Iranian professor who left the country during the revolution, adds a name and story to one of the faces in the archives. And watching her mother suffer with Alzheimer’s, Farah sees first-hand how quickly stories – personal and societal – can be forgotten, motivating her to document her unique history and perspective. A stunning visual collage of dancing and singing contrasted with public acts like burning hijabs in the streets, the film is simultaneously a beautiful reclamation of memory and a brave act of resistance.