THE CHICK
The Chick
(Tan Poush)
Written & Directed by: Bijan Aarabi
Producer: Seyed Maziyar Hashemi
Production Manager: Ruhollah Mehrabi
DoP: Hadi Behrooz
Editor: Vahid Qazi Mirsaeed
Costume & Production Designer: Saeed Hasanlou
Sound-recordist: Mehdi Saleh Kermani
Sound Designer: ArashGhasemi
Make-up: Mohsen Darsanj
Cast: Masoomeh Ghasemipour (Giti), Ali Bagheri (Jahan), Shahla Akbari (Hoori).
Iran, 2020, Mini Alexa, DCP, 1:2.35, 5.1, 13 mins.
Language: Farsi, Dari
Logline:
Love knows no boundaries. It is a universal language.
Synopsis:
At a border café, a female Iranian cook and an illegal female Afghan immigrant, who works there, are so dependent on each other. In order to save the sick Afghan girl from the human traffickers, the Iranian woman is left with no choice but to send the Afghan to women’s prison by any means, where she can get health insurance and have a surgery for free, but…
Director’s View:
Undocumented immigrants face a wide range of dangers. Women who migrate illegally are far more vulnerable to unsafe conditions, especially violence and sexual abuse. Illegal female immigrants lose everything in the dangerous process of immigration: past memories, present pleasures, and future dreams, everything except for love. Because Love knows no borders.
Director’s Profile:
Born in 1980, M.A in Dramatic literature, Bijan Aarabi holds B.A in Film Directing from Tehran Soureh University.
With his previous short films, he participated in international film festivals such as Human Rights Film Festival of Barcelona, London Migration Film Festival, One Country One Film-Apchat-Issoire International Festival, West Chester International Short Film Festival, Omichka Independent Film Festival, Kine Nova Skopje International Film Festival, Tehran International Short Film Festival, 100-Second International Short Film Festival, Roshd International Film Festival and Shahr International Film Festival. THE CHICK is his latest short film.
Filmography: 2007- Shoghal Margi (Fiction, 15 mins.), 2010- Lost Dream (Fiction, 2 mins.), 2013- The Last Light (Fiction, 2 mins.), 2016- In a Hurry (Fiction, 2 mins.), 2017- Larvae (Fiction, 25 mins.), 2020- The Chick (Fiction, 13 mins.).
Festivals and Awards:
1- Hong Kong International Film Festival (PRC / April.2021).
- Short Film Competition.
2- Vienna Shorts Film Festival (Austria / May.2021).
- Expedition – Focus – The comfort zone is an odd place.
3- Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland / July.2021).
- Short Film Competition.
- CH Cinema Network Award Winner.
4- Wales International Film Festival (September.2021 – UK).
- Finalist – Best Foreign Language Short Film Category.
5- Leeds International Film Festival (November.2021 – UK).
- Louis Le Prince International Short Film Competition.
6- International ASTO Short Film Festival (June 2022 / Greece).
7- Hanoi International Film Festival (November 2022 / Vietnam).
- Panorama.
8- Black Cat Award International Film Festival (November 2022 / Bolivia).
- Competition.
9- Magma – Mostra di Cinema Breve (November 2022 / Italy).
- Competition.
10- HE Care – Human Environment Care Film Festival (December 2022 / Canada).
- Competition.
11- Sofia MENAR Film Festival (January 2023 / Bulgaria).
- Short Films Category.
12- “Flowers against Bullets” Film Festival (March 2023 / Austria).
- Best Short Film Nominee.
13- London IA Awards & Working Class Short Film Festival (December 2023 / UK).
- Best Short Film Competition.
World Sales:
Sales: mohammad@irimageco.com
Festivals: kamyar@irimageco.com