And, Towards Happy Alleys

Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetic works of the feminist poet Forough Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani and human rights activist Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being banned from practising their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country.
And, Towards Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties.
by Sreemoyee Singh
with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani, Mina Mohammadkhani, Mohammad Shirvani, Maede, Sreemoyee Singh
India 2023 Farsi, English 75’ Colour Documentary Form

With

  • Jafar Panahi
  • Nasrin Soutodeh
  • Jinous Nazokkar
  • Farhad Kheradmand
  • Aida Mohammadkhani
  • Mina Mohammadkhani
  • Mohammad Shirvani
  • Maede
  • Sreemoyee Singh

Crew

Director Sreemoyee Singh
Screenplay Sreemoyee Singh
Cinematography Sreemoyee Singh
Editing Joydip Das, Jabeen Merchant, Pradyatan Bera
Music Majdy
Sound Design Anirban Borthakur
Sound Sreemoyee Singh
Producer Sreemoyee Singh
Executive Producers Hussain Currimbhoy, Noopur Sinha, Orly Ravid

Sreemoyee Singh

The director graduated with a PhD in film from the Jadavpur University in Kolkata in 2022. She has taught film at St. Joseph’s University in Bangalore and at the New York University in Abu Dhabi and, since 2012, has learnt the craft of filmmaking by working as an assistant director and camera assistant on various productions. For her debut feature-length documentary, And, Towards Happy Alleys, she travelled to Iran for the first time in 2015.

Filmography

2023 And, Towards Happy Alleys; documentary

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023