Interview with the Director of 'A Good Day Will Come'; A Film Inspired by the Life of Navid Afkari

The short film 'A Good Day Will Come' continues to be screened at international festivals; an impactful work inspired by the life of Navid Afkari, a wrestler and one of the Iranian protesters executed by the Islamic Republic. In this film, written and directed by Amir Zargara, a Canadian-Iranian filmmaker, Sia Alipour plays 'Arash,' an Iranian wrestler whose dream is to compete in the world championships and win a gold medal for his country. While the people of Iran are protesting against the regime, Arash must decide whether to use his position to support the protesters and stand against tyranny or to ignore the situation and just wrestle in silence. Mehdi Bejestani, a prominent Iranian artist, plays the role of this wrestler's coach. The short film 'A Good Day Will Come' has received several awards from festivals recognized by the Academy Awards and is striving to reach the preliminary list. Amir Zargara explained in an interview with VOA about this film and its features. What motivated you to make this film, and why did you choose such a subject? Initially, I did not intend to make a film about Navid Afkari and expected other filmmakers to address this topic, but I saw that this did not happen. On the other hand, I am in Canada and have the freedom to say whatever I want and make any film I want, unlike those in Iran. If I did not make this film, I would feel bad and could not look at myself in the mirror; I had to make this film; it was a duty. You dedicated this work to Navid Afkari; can you explain this? This film is inspired by the life of Navid Afkari, and Arash, the main character of the film, is shaped based on this. I followed his story a year before his execution by the Islamic Republic, and for all these years, I had the idea of making a film about this young Iranian. Navid and I are of the same age; he was born in Shiraz, and I was born in Ahvaz; he was a wrestler, and I also wrestled as a child. The only difference is that I came to Canada 15 years ago and live in a free country, while Navid stayed in Iran and was arrested, tortured, and executed for participating in popular protests. Initially, I wanted to make this work in a documentary drama style and be more based on real events, but for some reasons, my opinion changed, and the current film is a fictional work inspired by reality. Behind the scenes of the film 'A Good Day Will Come.' Can you explain the title of the film? How does 'A Good Day Will Come' relate to the story of the film? I live in Ottawa, Canada, and we have very cold winters. During a period when I had set this project aside, one night I was returning home from the gym and listening to the song 'A Good Day Will Come' by 'Hichkas'; I have a great fondness for this Iranian singer and have been a fan since my teenage years. I had listened to this song many times, but that night it created a strange feeling in me, especially the part that says, 'A good day will come when we don't kill each other.' This part of the song created a specific image in my mind that I also depicted in a scene of the film. After that night, I seriously resumed the construction of this project in its current form, and the film was made. The reality is that despite all the hardships and problems, eventually, a good day will come, and I believe this. Behind the scenes of the film 'A Good Day Will Come.' Can you explain the production process of this work? We were unable to film in Iran, and therefore making this film was a significant challenge due to the presence of scenes like protests in the streets. It took a while to decide on the filming location, and after reviewing several countries where films related to Iran had previously been made and consulting with colleagues, we ultimately chose Istanbul, Turkey. We spent several weeks in Istanbul engaged in pre-production, but filming took six days, and the subsequent stages progressed quickly, and the film was edited. The film's budget was provided through funding from Canadian arts organizations. Behind the scenes of the film 'A Good Day Will Come.' Can you explain the screenings at festivals? What reactions did you receive? The film has been screened at various festivals in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and we received very positive reactions. Personally, I am unable to attend all the festivals, but I receive many messages that are very encouraging. When I see non-Iranian audiences searching for Navid Afkari and his story after the film ends, I am very happy. If just one person becomes familiar with the story of this young Iranian after watching the film, I have fulfilled my duty, and that is more important than any award. Behind the scenes of the film 'A Good Day Will Come.' You are striving to reach the preliminary list for the Oscar. How hopeful are you for success in this path? Given the awards we have received, the film is eligible to participate in the Oscar competition, and we have started a promotional campaign. Every year, between 200 to 300 short films qualify for the Oscars, and initially, 15 works make it to the preliminary list, which will be announced in mid-December. Currently, we are active on social media, informing Academy members about the film's story and features. If we reach the preliminary list, it will be a significant success, and we can hope for a place in the final list; it is unpredictable, but I hope so. In your opinion, to what extent do such works about Iran help the world better understand the existing realities in the country? For me, making such a work is very important because the main audience for this film is non-Iranian people who have no knowledge of Iran's issues. I made the film to show the realities of Iran and the daily challenges that people in this country face. Life in Iran is very difficult, and you are involved in situations daily that people in other countries have no understanding or perception of. There is a lot of talk about Iran in the news, mostly related to the actions of the Iranian government, but there is less focus on the Iranian people, and unfortunately, there is not a complete understanding of ordinary citizens. It is very important to portray these realities in works like my film. Behind the scenes of the film 'A Good Day Will Come.' Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler, was executed in September 2020 despite all efforts to prevent his execution due to his confession to the murder of a Basij member during the protests of 2019. He repeatedly stated that his confessions were made under torture during interrogation.