What makes Iran relatable to filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh?

What started as a curiosity while pursuing a course in cinema at Jadavpur University led to a full-fledged documentary reflecting Iran’s changing socio-political and cultural landscape. Sreemoyee Singh brought her documentary And, Towards Happy Alleys to Chandigarh.

Put together by The Thinkers Collective, a joint initiative of the Institute for Development and Communication and Chandigarh University, along with Kirtt Collective, Sreemoyee Singh’s documentary transports viewers deep into the heart of Iran — into its art, censorship, poetry and most importantly, its people.

“When I first saw Iranian cinema, it spoke of hope. The very thought of finding inspiration in authoritarian regime sparked my interest,” opens up Sreemoyee. Her love for Iran, and its cinema, wasn’t superficial to begin with. She learnt Persian and spent time staggered along seven years before And, Towards Happy Alleys came to fruition.

The film features illustrious names such as Jafar Panahi, Aida and Mina Mohammadkhani, who began their acting careers as child stars in Iranian new-wave films; filmmaker Mohammad Shirvani and activist Nasrin Sotoudeh. These voices provide a window into a society’s expression under constraints.

Over the years, Singh witnessed real changes. Beginning around 2016 and spanning up to the social unrest of 2022, the film captures a shift in popular consciousness in Iran — protests, challenging laws and demands for equal rights. The documentary reflects these growing defiance, the courage in everyday acts, the refusal to be silenced. “I have seen how right from eight-year-old to an 80-year-old stood up in defiance after Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Iran’s people have been resilient for long, its only now that the world is noticing it,” says Sreemoyee.

The story is important in our country’s current scenario as well, she insists. “At no time I felt that it wasn’t my story. I felt a close bond to it!”

For Sreemoyee’s next is a personal subject. Changing home and changing city - Kolkata. Documenting personal history that may revels her unique name — Sreemoyee Singh!

To those who missed the Chandigarh screening, can watch And, Towards Happy Alleys on MUBI India.