Houbara: Visions of Iran (Kurzfilme)

Iranian Short Films: Choreographies of Resistance

In Iran, where it has long been forbidden for women to sing or dance in public, music and movement mostly take place in private spaces and underground networks - and only rarely in public, but always as acts of resistance. In this short film program (documentary, animation, experimental and feature films), sound, song and dance emerge not only as aesthetic forms of expression, but also as testimony to the presence of an absence. Through their voices and bodies, women lend form to a choreography of resistance in which gesture, rhythm and voice carry stories that resist silence.

The short film program was curated by Ghasideh Golmakani in cooperation with the Iranian film festival Visions of Iran as part of the Houbara Resonances Iran 2026 music festival. The films are in the original language with English subtitles.

The Dérive, Tanin Torabi, experimental film, 7 min., 2017
An exploration of social and cultural issues. A dancer moves through the people in an old bazaar in Tehran and captures their reactions. Dancing is forbidden in Iran.

Ballerina, feature film, Farima Khalili, Soheil Babaei, 11 min., 2024
Ballerina tells the story of an 8-year-old girl who is about to give a dance performance. However, due to Iranian regulations, her father and other men are forbidden from watching the ballet.

And Me, I'm Dancing Too, Mohammad Valizadegan, feature film, 20 min., 2023
Saba, an Iranian girl, is a dancer. She tries to block out her surroundings and express her being and her freedom through her "body". She loves the art of dance - the art of letting go and living a life beyond conventional ties. But this is forbidden in Iran, a deeply religious state that disregards basic human rights. The film is an honest portrait of the everyday oppression that women in Iran are confronted with on their path to freedom.

Remembrance, Farzaneh Omidvarnia, animation, 2 min., 2026
Two women mourn people who died during the Iranian demonstrations.

Height of the Kite, Amin Pakparvar, Mehraneh Salimian, documentary, 24 min., 2023
In a rural region of Balochistan, where women are only allowed to sing at private rituals, teenager Fariba wants to sing in public - just like boys her age. But racial discrimination and the ban on female singing stand in her way.

Prestige, Zahra Ahooi, feature film, 15 min., 2020
Mahsa is an Iranian television presenter. She sings and publishes her videos anonymously on Instagram. This puts her in a difficult situation during one of her broadcasts and she has to decide whether to leave the country or quit her job.

Moment and Forever, Yasaman Hasani, animation, 2 min., 2019
The film is about a woman fighting for her freedom and identity. As she dances through the whispering silhouettes of men, she goes her way undeterred.

Here is the link to the Houbara - Resonances Iran 2026 program