FORCED

Forced

(Vadashteh)

Written & Directed by: Siavash Gorjestani

Producer: Seyed Maziyar Hashemi

Production Manager: Raheleh Varzi

DoP: Ahad Aghili

Editor: Vahid Ghazimirsaeid

Costume & Production Designer: Amir Hossein Davani

Music: Amir Sedighiyan

Sound-recordist: Mohammad Eyvazi

Sound Designer: Behrouz Moavenian

Make-up: Ali Bahramfar

Cast: Samira Hamidi (Golchehreh), Ebrahim Heydari (Golchehreh’s Dad), Masoomeh Rahimi (Golchehreh’s Mom), Amir Mohammad Jafari (Hanif), Masoud Mosavi (Jafar).

Iran, 2021, Sony A7R III, DCP, 4K, 1:1.85, 5.1, 14 mins.

Logline:

Running on Empty in the Traditional Bondage…

Synopsis:

The 8-year-old Afghan girl, Golchehreh, is being forced to marry her friend Jafar because of a traditional and cultural matchmaking tradition which is commonly practiced in Afghan tribes as well as parts of Iran.

Director’s View:

Our future heroes are the young children who tear the shackles of wrong traditions…wrong traditions which destroy our children…

Director’s Profile:

Born in 1984 in Tehran, Siavash Gorjestani holds a degree in Graphics Design from University of Payame Nour – Tehran Branch. Gorjestani started his career as actor in a number of TV series, stage plays and motion pictures. Then he made two episodes in portrait doc series on big stars of Iranian cinema. In 2021, Gorjestani directed his first short fiction, FORCED.

Festivals and Awards:

1- Fajr International Film Festival (May 2021 / Iran).

Eastern Vista Competition.

2- Wales International Film Festival (September.2021 – UK).

Finalist – Best Foreign Language Short Film Category.

3- Cineaste International Film Festival of India (December.2021 – India).

Short Fiction Film Competition.

4- IDSFFK – International Documentary & Short Film Festival of Kerala (August.2022 – India).

International Section – Out of Competition.

5- Edo State International Film Festival (September.2022 – Nigeria).

Official Selection.

6- Festival Internacional de Cine de la No-Violencia Activa – FICNOVA (October.2022 – Spain).

Official Selection.

7- Black Cat Award International Film Festival (November 2022 / Bolivia).

Competition.

8- Sofia MENAR Film Festival (January 2023 / Bulgaria).

Short Films Category.

9- Spiny Babbler International Film Festival (May 2023 / Nepal).

Best Script Award.

10- Mestia International Short and Mountain Film Festival (August 2023 / Georgia).

Competition,

11- Kobani International Film Festival (September 2023 / Germany).

12- Sama International Film Festival (September 2023 / Sweden).

Best Short Film Award.

13- The Bay International Film Festival (October 2023 / UK).

Quarter-finalist.

14- Kolkata International Children’s Film Festival (January 2024 / India).

Official Selection.

World Sales:

IRIMAGE

Sales: mohammad@irimageco.com

Festivals: kamyar@iriamgeco.com