ACF
Asian Cinema Fund
Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund
2024 Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund
LIST Qashqai Tribe: Once Upon a Time in Shiraz
| Category | Asian Project |
|---|---|
| Project | Qashqai Tribe: Once Upon a Time in Shiraz |
| Director | Hamed ZOLFAGHARI |
| Country | Iran / France / Norway |
| Director's Profile | Hamed Zolfaghari was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1982. He is an Iranian filmmaker based in Tehran, where he founded Crazy Woodpecker Film Studio. He has written, directed, edited, and coproduced five documentary films, and his works have travelled across various national and international platforms and festivals. Women of the Sun: A Chronology of Seeing (2020), his first feature documentary, was a co-production between Iran and France. The movie won First Prize at Docs in Progress, Thessaloniki Film Festival 2017, was awarded an Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund at Busan International Film Festival 2018, received a grant from the Alter Cine Foundation in Canada in 2018, had its world premiere at Hot Docs Film Festival Canada 2020, and was released on the Arte public service channel in the La Lucarne program in France and Germany in 2020, and on ZDF in Germany and the BBC in the UK. |
- Synopsis
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Valioallah and Dorna, nearing the end of their nomadic lifestyle in southern Iran, face resistance from their sons, who prefer city life. A sheep theft sparks a family dispute over traditional versus modern ways. Sassan, the eldest son, complains about their way of life. He can only see a future in the city, and asks them to leave their life and settle in the city, like so many other nomads. Valioallah and Dorna refuse.
As spring approaches, the nomads prepare to migrate, but urban expansion blocks their traditional migration routes. Moved by a tragic accident involving sheep, Sassan orchestrates a migration through the city streets, to avoid the dangerous highways. However, they lose their way, and the herd disperses throughout the city. In a dreamlike scene, the animals find refuge in unexpected urban spaces, such as monuments and commercial areas.
- Director's Note
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I chose to create a film exploring the intricate relationship between the Qashqai tribe, my ancestral heritage, and the city of Shiraz, my hometown. This project began when my aunt, the last member of our nomadic family, settled in the city, marking the end of a cherished tradition. To illuminate the connections and contrasts between nomadic life and urban living in Shiraz, I started to work with Valioallah’s family (who are my relatives and I know them very well). They navigate the twilight of their nomadic existence. Intrigued by their plight, I delved into their generational conflict, as their children, ensconced in city life, shun their nomadic roots.
Once comprising 40% of Iran′s populace, nomads now constitute a mere 2%, yet contribute 20% of the nation′s food supply. The sprawling expansion of Shiraz has obstructed traditional nomadic migratory routes, compelling them to seek alternative paths.
The final sequence, with its surreal, unbelievable reality - the violent contrasts provoked by the migration of the herd, with its incredible situations, accidents and conflicting sounds - introduces a larger question into the film: what if we could reconcile the two ways of life, without having to choose one against the other? What if balance and harmony could be found somewhere in between?
- Still Cut
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