The Afflicted

2022 / 1h 20mins / Drama

DIRECTOR: Mehdi Fard Ghaderi

ACTORS: Leila Zare, Mohammad Amin, Farokh Nemati, Reza Behboodi, Roya Javidnia, Hediyeh Azidhak, And Mohammadreza Davoodnejad, Ata Servati, Maryam Boobani

This is a beautiful and thought-provoking film, by the award winning Iranian born writer, director, producer – Mehdi Fard Ghaderi. The Afflicted is his third film. “Immortality” 2016, a one take film and “Weightlessness” 2019 were both very well received internationally around the world winning 16 awards and 52 nominations. “The Afflicted” has been submitted for the Cannes Film Festival 2022 – Main Competition and Directors’ Fortnight.

THE STORY: The film centres around three directors trying to make a film about social problems of violence and abuse against women and executions. The first director wants to emigrate, but learns that his lead actor is being executed, so decides to make a film about the execution. The second director wants to make a film about abused women but is opposed by her husband. The third director is informed by his doctor that he has cancer and wants to make the last film of his life. Each director’s story is focused on a different genre, story and covers a different generation.