World War III

White Winged Horse

Asbe sefide baldar, Iran, 2020

Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival Finalist

The figure of a white-winged horse has haunted Taha since childhood—an emblem of the sweetheart he left behind years ago when war tore apart their town. Now, Taha returns with big hopes that he can win her heart.

Digital, color, in Persian with English subtitles, 16 min. Director: Mahyar Mandegar. Screenwriter: Mahyar Mandegar. With: Sepehir Tehranchi, Hasan Najarian, Mohammad Bashir.

World War III

Jang-e Jahani Sevom, Iran, 2022

A day laborer devastated by personal tragedy, Shakib (Mohsen Tanabandeh) gets a second chance when he suddenly lands the lead role in a low-budget film, a barely plausible exploitation riff on the Holocaust. But opportunity brings sharks and Shakib proves ill-equipped to negotiate the forces scheming around him. Writer-director Houman Seyedi’s gritty crime film, Sheeple (screened here in 2019), was an explosive examination of the cycle of violence roiling an impoverished Iranian neighborhood. While the title of his latest thriller suggests an even greater conflagration in pursuit of similar themes, Seyedi takes a slow burn approach—albeit one loaded with provocations.

DCP, color, in Persian with English subtitles, 107 min. Director: Houman Seyedi. Screenwriter: Houman Seyedi, Arian Vazir Daftari, Azad Jafarian. With: Mohsen Tanabandeh, Neda Jebreili, Mahsa Hejazi.