My Stolen Revolution
WINTER FILM AWARDS 2016 WINNER - SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM
2013
Sweden, Iran, United States
75 mins
Farsi and Swedish
Documentary Film Competition
| Nahid Persson Sarvestani | |
| Nahid Persson Sarvestani | |
A student activist in Iran’s 1979 revolution that overthrew the dictatorial Shah, Nahid Persson Sarvestani fled to Sweden with her baby after Islamists seized power and began persecuting leftists who had been their revolutionary allies. Three decades later, events in Iran inspire Nahid to revisit that part of her life. Prompted by brutal crackdowns on anti-government protests in 2009 and long-suppressed guilt for abandoning a younger brother to imprisonment and death, the internationally acclaimed filmmaker locates and reunites with five female activists who survived torture and terror in the Islamist regime’s jails. Now living in exile, the women share gripping accounts of how their jailers tried to break them physically and spiritually.
About the Director
Born in Shiraz, Iran, Nahid Persson Sarvestani took political asylum in Sweden as a result of her political activism during and after the 1979 revolution in Iran. Since 2000, Nahid has pursued a successful career as a documentary filmmaker in Sweden. Nahid is the recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Dragon at the Krakow Film Festival, Best Intl News Documentary at the TV-festival 2005 in Monte Carlo, as well as The Crystal Award (Kristallen) by SVT (Swedish State Television).
Reviews
“This is by far the most moving film I’ve seen on the film festival. It’s an incredibly personal, extremely moving film. A massive tribute to the resilience of mankind, and women in particular. I cannot applaud the maker of this film enough. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. Tears in the audience, a standing ovation and everybody stayed for the Q&A. Go see this. It’s amazing! — Review from Alex on 27 January IFFR 2013
Interview with the filmmaker — Al-Jazeera America
My Stolen Revolution: LAFF Review — Hollywood Reporter
Heartbreaking content triumphs in the highly emotional and personal docu “My Stolen Revolution.” — Variety
Awards
International Film Festival Rotterdam – Audience Choice Award
Tempo Doc Festival Stockholm – Winner, Documentary Award
Noor Iranian Film Festival – Best Documentary Director
