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Starless Dreams

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Wikipedia article




'Starless Dreams' is a 2016 Iranian documentary directed by Mehrdad Oskouei.

Synopsis



A haunting portrait of stolen childhood, 'Starless Dreams' plunges the viewer into the lives of seven young teenage girls sharing temporary quarters at a rehabilitation and correction center on the outskirts of Tehran. As the New Year approaches, the girls bond and reveal with disarming and often playful honesty the circumstances and acts that resulted in their incarceration. One girl killed her father; another robbed a bank; another was arrested for carrying 651 grams of cocaine. The girls' sisterly bond brings them to sing and dance with hope and allows them to share their tears. Outside the prison walls, danger is everywhere, even within their own families.

Oskouei, one of Iran's most prominent directors, spent seven years securing access to this all-female facility. With incredible empathy, 'Starless Dreams' delivers an unforgettable cinematic portrayal of restored innocence and humanity.

Festivals



* 10th Asian Pacific Screen Awards, Australia, 2 December 2016.

* 16th Pyongyang International Film Festival, North Korea. 1928 September 2018. Informative screening section

* 29th Carthage Film Festival, Tunis, Tunisia. 310 November 2018

* Humboldt University, Faculty of Theology, Berlin, Germany. 314 December 2018

* Rencontres du Film Documentaire de Mellionnec, France. 28 June 1 July 2018.

* Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Bologna, Italy. 413 May 2018.

Venue: Cinema Lumire of the Cineteca di Bologna.

* 13me Festival International du Film Oriental de Genve (FIFOG), Suisse. 2129 April 2018. Competition section

* 5e Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke, Qubec, Canada. 915 April 2018. Competition section

* 3e Rencontres Hivernales du Documentaire de Grignan, France. Janvier 19-27, 2018.

* 4th Budapest International Documentary Festival, Hungary. 2428 January 2018. Competition section

* 27e Festival du Film Documentaire Traces de Vies, Clermont Ferrand, France. 27 November 3 December 2017.

* China Society of Documentary Films, First Silk Road International Documentary Film Festival, Grand Ceremony, 2 December 2017.

* Celebration of Iranian Cinema at UCI. University of California, Irvine, USA. 2527 August 2017.

* SOS Villages dEnfants Monde, Luxembourg. Screening date: Novembre 23, 2017

* 7me Festival de Films Documentaires ENFANCES DANS LE MONDE, Paris, France. 1618 November 2017.

* 12th Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Sarajevo. 912 November 2017.

* 25th Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, Toronto, Canada. 311 November 2017.

* 22me Festival International du Cinma dAuteur de Rabat, Maroc. Octobre 27- Novembre 3, 2017.

* Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan. 512 October 2017. New Asian Currents Competition

* 24th Adana International Film Festival,Turkey. 25 September 1 October 2017.

* 7th Favourites Film Festival, Berlin, Germany. 20 to 24 September 2017.

* Celebration of Iranian Cinema at UCI. University of California, Irvine, USA. 2527 August 2017.

* New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF). 14 July 7 August 2017.

* Festival Rsistances, Foix, France. 715 July 2017. Les Visages de la Violence section.

* Favourites Film Festival, Bremen (24-28 May 2017) and Berlin, Germany. 20 to 24 September 2017.

* 45e Rencontre Cinma Digne-Les-Bains & Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. 25 May 2017.

* 3rd Slovenian International Film Festival for Children and Youth Eye on Film, Slovenia. 39 May and 38 October 2017.[http://www.effe.eu/festival/eye-film-%E2%80%93-international-film-festival-youth]

* 28th Ankara International Film Festival, Turkey. 2030 April 2017.

* Mondes en Images, 4me Rencontres documentaires Cucuron, France. 69 April 2017.

* CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, DENMARK. 1626 March 2017.

26 February 5 March 2017. Teen Dox competition

* 13th International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox, ZAGREB CROATIA.

Iranian Film Screening dates: Januvary 29 & 30, 2017.

* Persische Kulturwoche Mnchen, Germany. 27 January 4 February 2017.

Screening date: 18 January.

* Berlin cinema Filmkunst 66, Bleibtreustrae 12, 10623 Berlin, Germany.

Screening for DEUTSCHE FILMAKADEMIE

*6th Iranian Film Festival, Prague, Brno and Bratislava, Republic Czech.10-21 January 2017.

* 9th this human world International Human Rights Film Festival, Vienna, Austria. 111 December 2016.

TERRE DES FEMMES, Tuebingen, Germany. 2330 November 2016.

TERRE DES FEMMES, Tuebingen, Germany. 2330 November 2016.

* Festival Rsistances, Foix, France. 715 July 2017. Les Visages de la Violence section.

* 3rd Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, Australia, 23 November 4 December 2016.

* 20th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, 1127 November 2016.

* 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 1120 November 2016.

* MOVE IT! Film Festival, Dresden, Germany, 813 November 2016

* 21me Rencontres du Cinema Documentaire, Cinma Le Mlis Montreuil, France, screening date: 5 November 2016.

* 35th Jean Rouch International Film Festival, Paris, France, 5 November 11 December 2016, screening date: Saturday, 5 November 2016.

* 14th Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia, Mexico, 2130 October 2016, program "Year of Germany in Mexico 2016/2017".

* Festival des Liberts, Bruxelles, Belgique, 2029 October 2016.

* 31st Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck, Germany, 1923 October 2016, "Children Rights Competition" section.

* Inconvenient Films festival, Lithuania, Vilnius, 1323 October 2016.

* Antenna Documentary Festival, Sydney, Australia, 1116 October 2016, competition

* 25th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas, United States, 716 October 2016, competition section

* 60th BFI London Film Festival, UK, 516 October 2016, "Competition Grierson"

* XXVI Message to Man International Film Festival, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2330 September 2016, "International Competition" section.

* 12th Zurich Film Festival, Switzerland, 22 September 2 October 2016, "Border Lines" section.

* Bergen International Film Festival, Norway, 2028 September 2016, "Checkpoints" competition.

* The Dokfilmwoche in the fsk Kino and Sputnik Kino in Berlin, Germany, screening dates: 17 September 2016.

* DokuFest PRIZREN, KOSOVA, 513 August 2016, Human Rights Competition section.

* 65h Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia, 28 July 14 August 2016.

* New Directors, New Films Festival, Espinho, Portugal, 2027 June 2016, Golden Lynx Competition section.

* New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival, United States, 1019 June 2016.

* 39th Norwegian Short Film Festival / 'International feature documentary Programme', Grimstad, Norway, 812 June 2016.

* Cinema at the Deutsches Filmmuseum Frankfurt, Germany, screening dates: 4 and 5 June 2016.

* 4th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children & Youth, Warsaw, Poland, 112 June 2016.

* 3rd Kln Iranian Film Festival, Germany, 2629 May 2016.

* 13th International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Chisinau, R. of Moldova, 1218 May 2016, competition section.

* 31st International Documentary Film Festival (DOK.fest), Munich, Germany, 5 15 May 2016, competition section "DOK.horizonte"

* Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 28 April 8 May 2016

* 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, United States, 710 April 2016

* Middle East Now Festival, Florence, Italy, 510 April 2016

* Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Mexico, 31 March 2 June 2016.

* 18th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Greece, 1120 March 2016

* Griffin 7, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusett, United States, 8 March 2016.

* 18th One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic, 716 March 2016

* 17th Tempo Documentary Festival, Stockholm, Sweden, 713 March 2016, "TOP DOCS" Non Competitive Festival

* 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 36 March 2016

* 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany, 1121 February 2016

Awards



* Winner of: Best Documentary Feature Film at 10th edition of Asian Pacific Screen Awards

* Winner of: Cercle dOr Best Documentary at the 5e Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke, Qubec, Canada, 2018

* Winner of: Best Film Senior Jury Award

* Winner of: Best Film Junior Jury Award

at the 4th Budapest International Documentary Festival, Hungary, 2018

* Winner of: Grand Prix Traces de Vies at the 27e Festival du Film Documentaire Traces de Vies, Clermont Ferrand, France, 2017.

* Winner of: Best Documentary Film at the Silk Road International Documentary Film Festival, China, 2017.

* Winner of: Jurys Special Mention at the 12th Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Sarajevo, 2017.

* Winner of: Audience Award at the 22e Festival International du Cinma dAuteur de Rabat, Morocco, 2017.

* Winner of: Best Film-Teen Dox Jury Award at the 13th International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox, ZAGREB, CROATIA, 2017

*32nd Annual IDA Documentary Awards, Friday 9 December 2016, Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, USA.

The *Pare Lorentz Award* recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems.

* Winner of *Pare Lorentz Award* by the 32nd International Documentary Association (IDA), 2016.

At the 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2016

* Winner of: Audience Award

* Winner of: Youth Jury Prize

* Winner of Best Feature Documentary at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Australia, 2016

* Winner of Best Film at the 12th move it Internationale Filmfestival, Dresdener, Germany, 2016

* Winner of Grand Prix Nanook Jean Rouch at the 35th Jean Rouch IFF, Paris, France

* Winner of Pare Lorentz Award by the 32nd International Documentary Association (IDA), 2016, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, United States. The Pare Lorentz Award recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems.

* Winner of Prix Smart at Festival des Liberts, Bruxelles, Belgique, 2016

* Winner of Best Film Young Jury Award at the 31st Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck, Germany, 2016

* Winner of Special Jury Award at Antenna Documentary Festival, Sydney, Australia, 2016

* Winner of Best International Documentary at 25th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas, United States, 2016

* Winner of the Grierson Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 60th BFI London Film Festival, UK, 2016

* Winner of Full-length Documentary Film Award at the 26th International Film Festival Message to Man, Russia, 2016

* Winner of Special Mention Human Rights Award at DokuFest Prizren, Kosova, 2016

* Winner of Cineuropa Audience Award at the 'New Directors, New Films' Festival, Espinho, Portugal

* Winner of Honorable Mention

* Winner of Special Mention Youth's Jury Award at the 4th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children & Youth, Warsaw, Poland, 2016

* Winner of Grand Prix at the 13th International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Chisinau, R. of Moldova, 2016

* Winner of Women Special Prize

* Winner of Best Photography Award

* Winner of the Full Frame Inspiration Award, Durham, North Carolina, 10 April 2016 at the 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, United States, 2016

* Winner of the Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award, Duke University, 2016

* Winner of True Vision Award for Mehrdad Oskouei at the 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 2016

* Winner of Amnesty International Film Prize at the 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany, 2016

Reception



The film has received positive critical reviews, holding a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews.

American news and culture paper The Village Voice ranked the documentary 7th Among Village Voice Top 25 Films. Meanwhile, the movie gained 85 scores out of 100 on the Metacritic movie website

Scott Tobias of 'Variety' said, "Oskouei is given a window into homes where, as one subject puts it, "pain drips from the walls," but "Starless Dreams" isn't a cavalcade of misery. With confinement comes safety, and with a roomful of like-aged girls from common backgrounds, the rare opportunity for friendship and fun."

Leigh Kolb of Bitch Media said, "Oskouei's style as a documentarian would seem invasive if it weren't so empathetic. His voice is present and strong, and he asks the girls probing questions: about their crimes, about their histories, and about their hopes."

Stephen Holden from 'The New York Times' said, "Roger Ebert once called the movies 'a machine that generates empathy,' and 'Starless Dreams' ... is just such a machine. With the conceptual rigor and emotional directness associated with the best of Iranian cinema Oskouei simply listens to the stories of those who have never been listened to before."

Deborah Young from 'The Hollywood Reporter' said, "Mehrdad Oskouei's reputation as one of Iran's finest documentary filmmakers grows film by film. 'Starless Dreams' is the perfect example of how powerful simplicity can be, when it's underpinned by compassion for its subject."

Kenigsperg from 'The New York Times' said, "Although the movie bears some resemblance to the films made by Frederick Wiseman within institutions, the acknowledged presence of the director, Mehrdad Oskouei, creates a constant tension. The girls identified by first names or nicknames like 'Nobody' and '651' show varying degrees of comfort with Mr. Oskouei's questions, some matter-of-factly discussing drugs or stabbings, and others seemingly reluctant to look toward the camera. Yet 'Starless Dreams' suggests that the center's grounds, where the girls play in the snow or work in a greenhouse, are kinder than the world outside, and that release is a fraught prospect. So if 'Starless Dreams' inspires conflicted feelings in viewers, it may be by design. It's hard not to want to flee, and it's hard to look away."

Kenji Fujishima from 'KINO SCOPE' said, In some ways, Starless Dreams is a standard talking-heads documentary, with much of it made up of Oskoueis interviews with the girls in the detention center as learns their histories and how they feel about their lives. But he also alternates these intimate chats with more Frederick Wiseman-esque observational segments of the girls playing and interacting with authority figures and relatives. These fly-on-the-wall scenes help transcend the grim nature of the films subject, showing how capable these troubled girls still are of experiencing childlike wonder.

References




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