Între revoluții

Between Revolutions
In the 1970s, an Iranian student named Zahra meets a fellow student called Maria at university in Bucharest. They are both pursuing a degree in medicine and develop a deep friendship and admiration for each other. When the revolution against the Shah breaks out in 1979, Zahra goes back to Iran, moved by the hope of political transformation, although disappointments are quick to follow. Zahra never ends up returning to Romania. Over the next decades, Zahra and Maria exchange letters about protests, the general upheaval in both countries, the oppression of women and how it affects them; Romania is not to remain untouched by revolution either. Separated by the revolutions, their correspondence depicts two women struggling to conform to societal stereotypes and grappling with their profound feelings for each other, which seem to stretch beyond simple friendship. In his film, Vlad Petri draws entirely on incredible, stunningly edited archival footage from Iran and Romania to tell the story of these two women in such a way that the lines between documentary and fiction blur. In such testing times, doesn’t such a bond almost seem too good to be true?
by Vlad Petri
with Victoria Stoiciu, Ilinca Harnut
Romania / Croatia / Qatar / Iran 2023 Farsi, Romanian 68’ Colour & Black/White World premiere | Documentary Form

With

  • Victoria Stoiciu
  • Ilinca Harnut

Crew

Director Vlad Petri
Screenplay Lavinia Braniște, Vlad Petri
Editing Dragoș Apetri, Cătălin Cristuțiu, Vlad Petri
Sound Filip Mureșan, Vlad Voinescu
Production Manager Elena Martin
Producer Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan
Co-Producer Oliver Sertić
Co-Production Restart Zagreb, Kroatien

Vlad Petri

Born in Bistriţa, Romania in 1979, he studied cinematography as well as visual and media anthropology. He is active as a filmmaker, screenwriter and cinematographer. His films have been shown and won awards at international festivals.

Filmography

2014 Bucuresti, unde esti? (Where Are You Bucharest?”); 80 min. 2020 The Deer Passed in front of Me; 27 min. 2021 Același vis (The Same Dream); 30 min. 2023 Între revoluții (Between Revolutions); 68 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023