SERA Cycle 3 Introduction and Courses

Project n° 580247-EPP-1-2016-1-FR-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN Awards: 2007: San Sebastián: Special Jury Prize "for being the first feature film by a very young female director who has impressed the jury for the exquisite photography and for the extraordinary girl NIKBAKHT NORUZ.It is the promising premiere of a director that we hope will continue creating important works onwards. Reviews: "Acclaimed film directed by a young Iranian girl of only 18 years old". (FILMAFFINITY) "A moving film (...) It is enough with a camera, natural scenes, children that give off authenticity and are clear about what they want to describe to achieve a terrible, tender and necessary document." (Carlos Boyero: El País newspaper) "It is the most naive, delicious, pure, penetrating, allegorical, intelligent, simple and at the same time convoluted film that you will have seen in a long time." (Oti Rodríguez Marchante: Diario ABC) Storyline A young girl zealously wants to go to school and learn to read and write. Almost everywhere she is met with hostility or indifference. The only young boy who takes her to his school is thrown out by the teacher, because helping her prevented him from coming in time. - It must not go unnoticed that the schoolgirls and the female teacher are likewise hostile toward this girl. None of them want her in the classroom. On her way home she and other girls are taken as learners by boys playing talibans. They tear her school book to pieces (or rather what was left of it after the schoolgirls had done the same thing.) The "taliban boys" threaten to stone their girl learners (although in this movie there is little real physical violence against girls). The girl's attempts end in complete failure. (Whatever moods of the scenes throughout the entire movie, the acting by the central girl is really impressive.)