Seven and a Half

Iran I 75 mins I Drama I 2019 I Persian w/ English subtitles

The tales of seven girls: Shabaneh, Negar, Nahid, Fereshteh, Niloufar, Rahil, & Shekar. Although each has her own individual story, none has the chance of finding love after they lose control of their destiny, either through forced marriage or sexual violence.

Director’s statement: When I was a child, I attended a village wedding in my native Afghanistan. As the music played the villagers danced with great joy to the point of dropping with exhaustion. As dawn broke, a terrifying scream woke the sleeping guests. The groom had killed his bride after discovering she was not a virgin.

In the eyes of those attending, the young woman’s family had forever been dishonored. Though very young, I still remember this dramatic event and retain the fear that marriages may well end in mourning.

+ This program includes short film, DRY LEAVES

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About the Artist

Navid Mahmoudi was born in Parvan, Afghanistan on September 23, 1980. He and his family moved
to Iran when he was 6 years old. From an early age, film & cinema captivated him, developing into a veritable passion. So, after beginning his career as an assistant director, he went on to direct his own short films while producing other works.

In 2014, he produced his first feature, A FEW CUBIC METERS OF LOVE, which was warmly
received by international critics and audiences.

In 2016 he directed his first feature PARTING, before going on to produce RONA, AZIM'S MOTHER in 2018. All three films were selected as Afghanistan's official Oscar entries.