Dubai-based sales firm Cercamon will handle worldwide sales excluding Germany and France on Seven Winters In Tehran, a feature documentary about women’s rights in Iran voiced by Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi.
Sold by Cercamon’s documentary arm Cercamon Docs, the film will have its world premiere in February when opening Berlinale’s Perspectives on German Cinema section, announced today (Jan 9). German public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk holds the German broadcast rights.
It is the debut feature documentary from German director Steffi Niederzoll, who previously launched 2008 short Lea at Berlin, and is currently in post-production on her debut feature film In Between (working title).
Seven Winters In Tehran retraces the life of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a young Iranian woman whose life was changed forever when she fatally stabbed the man who was trying to rape her. Despite evidence of self-defence, she was sentenced to the death penalty.
Jabbari was hanged in 2014. The film was made in partnership with her family, who are now living in Germany; her mother Shole is now an activist against the death penalty. Ebrahimi, who won the best actress prize at Cannes 2022 for Holy Spider, provides Reyhaneh Jabbari’s voice in the film.
Niederzoll and Shole Jabbari have also co-written a book about Reyhaneh, How To Become A Butterfly, which is set for publication in Germany this month.
The Germany-France co-production is led by Made in Germany Filmproduktion, with Gloria Films Production and TS Productions for France.
“We first saw Seven Winters In Tehran as a rough cut back in July and we boarded it immediately,” said Suzanne Nodale, head of Cercamon Docs. “Reyhaneh’s story allows a window into the many ways women are oppressed and silenced in Iran. The doc not only highlights their plight but also showcases a truly powerful and inspirational figure in Reyhaneh.”
“The film impressively shows how Reyhaneh Jabbari and her family fought for human rights in Iran, putting their own lives at risk,” said producer Melanie Andernach of Made in Germany Filmproduktion. “Just like many courageous people in Iran today, which shows us that the longing for a life in freedom and equality will never cease.”
Women’s rights in Iran have been subject to worldwide attention in recent months following the death in custody in September 2022 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for improperly wearing her hijab.
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