Formerly Youth Square (Meydane Javanan – Sabegh)

Freedom of the press, women, reform movement …

Sunday, November 14, 2021, 13.00 hrs

Iran 2019
Documentary, 71′, original with English subtitles
Director & screenplay Mina Akbari
Camera Mohammadreza Kianpanah
Music Ali Samadpour
Performing artists Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Ahmad Gholami, Newshah Tavakolian

The journalist and filmmaker Mina Akbari looks at an old photograph showing seventy former members of the editorial staff of the newspaper “Jame’e”, taken at what was then “Youth Square”. In 1997, the reform movement under President Khatami was on the rise, and a new spirit also encouraged the creation of new magazines. Akbari visits the colleagues of yesteryear and lets them tell their stories – over twenty years later, only six are still working in their old profession.

Guest: Prof. Katajun Amirpur (Cologne, Germany) 

Screenings ended on Sunday evening. The film can be purchased and viewed online from Monday the 15th through Sunday the 21st of November as “Video on Demand” here. Ticket purchase is possible from Monday 12:00.

Director

Mina Akbari (*1977) studied Communication and Media Studies at the University of Tehran. After 1995, she worked for “Jame’e”, the first reformist newspaper under Mohammad Khatami. Subsequently, she was cultural editor at “Toos”, “AKhordad”, “Fath”, “Hamshahri”, “Etemad”, “Etemad Melli” – all of which were sooner or later banned from publication. Her next documentary film will deal with the portrayal of Iranian women in cinema.