Iranian Pet club (Bashga-he Heyvanat)

Friday, Nov 12, 2021, 20.15 hrs

Documentary IR 2020, 60′
Director: Hadi Afarideh

Despite – or perhaps because of – religious and traditional prohibitions, the keeping of pets in the middle and upper classes of Iranian cities has taken on almost excessive proportions: Snakes, tarantulas, alligators, monkeys and even scorpions and cats of prey are kept behind closed doors. The phenomenon expresses love of animals, loneliness and a display of one’s own lifestyle and wealth; some young couples even prefer the pet to a baby. Unnoticed by the outside world – an anaconda doesn’t need to be walked – a veritable shadow economy has formed. Afarideh succeeds in creating a hilarious portrait of an Iranian parallel society.

Please note: Some scenes – including snake feeding – may not be suitable for sensitive viewers.

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

Trailer

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More Information

Director

Hadi Afarideh (*1984 in Tehran) has participated in more than 140 Iranian and international festivals and received numerous awards for direction, script and research. His documentaries include “Baghcheban’s children”, “Under pine trees”, “Ceremony at dawn”, “Godafarid’s story”, “Memory of Nei Avaran”, “Pale childhood”, “Nozood”, “Veteran rider”, “Nowruz melody”, “Soorat Khani”, “Plain grove”, “Offer”, “Nowruz Tehran time”, “Lost orchards”, “Paradises of imagination”, “In Tehran style”, “Ofus”, “Oblivion migration”.

Afarideh teaches film directing at the Iranian Youth Cinema Society and the Iranian Contemporary Arts Academy, among others.