It is one of the major irony that the people of the United States who oppose transitations often stand in a knee -born resistance to Iran and everything related to it. One can imagine great affinity between the fundamentalist religious conservatives in the United States and Islamic fundamentalism, if it was not for the annoying issue of racism and the reactive Islamophobia that comes with it.
Therefore, it is such a touching Sknap to look at Farnoosh SamadiS “Between dreams and hope“One of the best movies about a trans romance in some time… that also happens to be from Iran. Gender-Affirming Surgeries are available in Iran, Though with tight restrictions involving Parental Consent, even for Those See Sury at University Ant Samadi’s film The fact that such a procedure is available in Iran should at all expel some misconceptions about life in the country (although anti-trans forces in the US and Europe have also tangled malfunction that suggests that Iranian regime forces the CISGENGER -HOMOXUELY to get the operation as a way to “cure” them by their homosexuality).
There is so much in the way of misconceptions that here are displaced that you could see a Western viewer taken out of Samadi’s story of the pure revelation of everything – except that Samadi has created such a gripping film, one of such deep empathy and narrative immersion, it is difficult to imagine someone’s mind. ” At least beyond a slack first act.
Azad (played by Cisgender female actress Fereshteh Hosseini) is a transhane that does not yet get gender -affirming operation. There is a legal process to apply for one in Iran, and he has met all the requirements except one: he must receive his father’s signature on a form that gives his permission. What follows for 106 minutes is a movement of contradictory pronouns because Azad routinely is distracted by those around him, with the exception of his girlfriend, Nora (Sadaf Asgari).
But it quickly becomes obvious what a tough life Azad has had: he grew up in a small rural village, where traditional attitudes have made trans acceptance almost impossible – the very existence of transgender people there is almost unknown. When he went to university in Tehran, he found an accepting circle of friends and fell in love with Nora. It’s been years since he has seen his family. They have everything but accused her of causing her grandmother’s death over the stress caused by her “is a girl who wants to become a boy.”
Hosseini and Asgari turn in deeply known, naturalistic performances. They are not hiking issues or symbols that have gone off as characters just to make a point. They are characters and richly drawn. The first 40 minutes of “Between Dreams and Hope” take the tone in a Hangout movie when we get to know them. We meet their friends and see them put on a small dramatic read from “Romeo & Juliet” as Azad suggests for Nora. He wants to marry her. But of course in Iran it cannot happen until his operation is behind him. The first third of the film only pulls a little because its characters are in a kind of limbo and wonder how to proceed: they need Azad’s father’s signature, and yet they know he will never give it. What should I do?
When Azad decides to drive to his family yard and try to get his father’s signature anyway, the story kills really in-and is so compelling that it mostly apologizes the quasi-maimssness in the first act. Azad’s father is unsurpassed, and his older brother is directly hostile and threatens violence. They had to leave her quickly, the scene became all the more relentless of the camera’s whip between Azad and her father during their arguments instead of being shot-the-cut cutting. But thankfully Azad joins his younger brother, who is still living in a way of thinking of pure love and compassion before the youth and adult impulses of shame and “What will people say?” can infect him.
Azad decides to go back to his family home that night. This time without Nora. And fateful circumstances follow … outside the camera. Azad will not come back. And Nora is worried ill. The next morning she goes to the family farm and asks if they know where Azad is. The answers Nora return from Azad’s father and brother are rejecting, Curt and even threatening. This doesn’t look good. And the threat is emphasized by Hamadi who stages most of these tense scenes in a long time. She does not give us the safe sanctuary to edit.
But the exact contours of what happened leave some turns forward, which we will not ruin here. The voltage blocks up to the point that if you think “where is it?” During the first 40 minutes it will be “I can hardly stand the excitement” in the last act. It is extremely convincing and is made all the more engulfing the ink natural lighting of a key scene at the end. “Between Dreams and Hope” finally ends with one of the most memorable final casts at a time. In every way, this is a huge step up for Hamadi from her debut function, 2020’s “180-degree rule.” With the second movie she has come as a great filmmaker.
For Western viewers, hopefully it will have the extra dimension to generate more empathy for Iranians and live in that country. There is nothing here that can embarrass Iran or its government. Urban vs. Rural, liberal vs. Conservative Dynamic We see develops in “Between Dreams and Hope” is about the same as in the United States, this is a movie that should make us all more sensitive, more adapted, more questionable by our prejudices. The fact that it is such an exciting experience makes it all the more powerful in that regard.
Rating: A-
“Between Dreams and Hope” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2025. It is currently seeking US distribution.
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