Israeli Director 'Tatami' to VOA: We are the Narrators of Women's Struggle for Freedom from 'Islamic Republic Injustice'

The successes of the film 'Tatami', co-directed by Zar Amir-Ebrahimi and Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv, continue at international festivals. Recently, the film won an award at the Munich Film Festival in Germany and three awards at the Brussels Film Festival in Belgium. Guy Nattiv, the Israeli director of the film, told VOA: 'Zar and I are very proud and grateful that our film has been recognized by both audiences and the juries of the Munich and Brussels festivals; we appreciate their love and trust.' He added, 'Tatami addresses the ongoing struggle for freedom, justice, and women's rights; women who continue to face the ruthless injustice of the Islamic regime.' Nattiv urged all Iranians and non-Iranians to watch 'Tatami' and share the story of Iranian women's courageous struggle against the Islamic Republic with others. 'Tatami' is the first collaboration between Iranian and Israeli artists in directing within the framework of a feature film project. The film won the 'Fritz Gerlich' award at the Munich International Film Festival on Wednesday, July 4, which honors works that bravely stand against dictatorships and for human dignity. The Fritz Gerlich award, worth $10,000, is named after a German journalist who was executed by the Nazis in a forced labor camp for criticizing Adolf Hitler's regime in the 1930s. The jury praised 'Tatami', describing it as a work that reflects the thoughts and ideas of Fritz Gerlich, stating, 'Tatami presents a powerful image of the struggle against oppression and personal sacrifices.' On the same day, 'Tatami' won three awards at the Brussels International Film Festival, one of which was for acting for Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, who plays the coach of the Iranian judoka in the film. 'Tatami' tells the story of Leila, an Iranian female judoka who must compete against an opponent from Israel at the World Championships, but the Islamic Republic asks her not to participate in the match. Faced with a significant challenge, Leila makes a decision that transforms her personal and professional life. 'Tatami' is inspired by the true stories of Iranian athletes who, due to the Islamic Republic's anti-Israeli policies, have been forced to withdraw from competing against Israeli athletes over the decades. Zar Amir-Ebrahimi stated that many of these athletes revolted against such policies, as it makes no sense to suddenly have to withdraw from competitions after years of training and effort. She emphasizes that 'Tatami' reflects the powerful message of these Iranian athletes. The cast includes Jimmy Rey Newman, Nadine Marshall, and Mehdi Bajestani. 'Tatami' was filmed last autumn in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, which is very close to Iran. The production of this film project was conducted secretly due to security concerns, and the producers did not provide any information to the media. This article uses information from the Munich and Brussels Film Festival websites and reports from VOA. The success of 'Tatami' at the Tokyo Festival; Zar Amir-Ebrahimi also received an award. Zar Amir-Ebrahimi told Reuters: 'The Iranian-Israeli film 'Tatami' was filmed secretly.' The screening of 'Tatami' at the Venice Festival directed by Zar Amir-Ebrahimi and Israeli Guy Nattiv.