February 11 at 6pm & February 14 at 6pm | In Vazirdaftari’s slippery and smart directorial debut, bespeckled, upper-middle-class Roya, (Tannaz Tabatabaei, winner of Best Actress at the Fajr Film Festival) is weeks away from emigrating from Iran to Denmark when she meets a quiet, young woman - confused, lost, and seemingly suffering from amnesia. Roya takes the young woman in, naming her Ziba, welcoming her to her home, and introducing her to her husband, family, and community. Before long, Ziba begins to take on Roya’s appearance, and her entire life. Slick in story and style, WITHOUT HER is an absorbing De Palma-esque thriller about womanhood, identity, and paranoia, complete with hallucinatory visuals and a delicious twist ending. Chicago premiere.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Actress (Tannaz Tabatabaei), Fajr Film Festival
Winner - Best Genre Film, Hof International Film Festival
Nominee - Audience Award, Venice Film Festival
Festival of Films from Iran: The festival endures as a showcase that has brought the innovation, resilience, and humanism of one of the world’s great national cinemas to Chicago audiences over three decades. Now, more than ever, the voices of Iranian artists need to be heard in exploring our shared humanity through history, compassion, comedy, and love. Whether you are a longtime supporter or completely new to Iranian cinema, please join us in discovery! View full festival here.
Please check our full COVID-19 policy and details below: