Wind, Water, and Music: Ethnographic Iran

International premiere! Baad (The Wind)

Iran—2019—DCP—51 Minutes

In Farsi with English subtitles

Director, Researcher: Hamid Jafari

With: Gholam-Shah Margiri, Nesa Samaei

Print courtesy: Venera Films

The Wind is a poetic depiction of the story of the “Zar” in southern Iran, a spiritual ritual. Spirits ride the wind of the seas and spread illness into the bodies of human beings. The only cure for this wind-carried illness is based on the beliefs of the Zar religion. The Zar ceremony can free the body from evil spirits with the assistance of music and song. Those who perform this ceremony are called MamaZar or BabaZar (The mother or father of the wind). The BabaZar in this film is Gholam-Shah Margiri, the most prominent BabaZar of southern Iran. In this film, accompanied by a MamaZar, he struggles to cure a patient with the help of immortal spirits. Many of the events captured in this documentary have never been filmed before.

Sponsored by Carol Godfrey shown with: Ahle Ab (Waterfolks)

Iran—2018—DCP—30 Minutes

In Farsi with English subtitles

Director: Azadeh Bizargiti

With: Sakineh Karimdadi, Aoghara Arbabi

Print courtesy: Venera Films

A poetic journey into the everyday life of a fisherwoman from Hengam island in Southern Iran in the Persian Gulf. Accompanied by a family member or a friend, she goes to the sea every day for fish in order to provide for her family.

Saturday, July 13, 6:00 p.m., RR3

Thursday, July 18, 6:15 p.m., RR2