Screening of the Film 'Huban' Centered on 'Woman, Life, Freedom', Hamed Moslehi: I Could Not Remain Indifferent to This Movement

The screening of the short film 'Huban' by Iranian director Hamed Moslehi has received positive reactions at international festivals. This experimental work is centered around the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement during the recent widespread protests in Iran and was produced underground. Hamed Moslehi and producer Shabnam Alai were forced to leave Iran for security reasons after filming and completed the project abroad. Moslehi began his cinematic activities at the age of 17 and has experience in making several advertising and documentary works focusing on cultural, ritual, and especially regional music themes in Iran. He made his first short film titled 'In Search of a Lost One' in 2010, but other projects faced various challenges including censorship, restrictions, and financial problems. 'Huban' is considered Moslehi's most important cinematic project, which he decided to create underground in his home in Tehran despite all challenges and lack of resources due to the significance of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement. Currently residing in Turkey, Moslehi explained in an interview with Voice of America about 'Huban', its features, and the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement. He described the film's story, its themes, and the motivation behind its creation. The 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement represents a new phase in his life, and he felt compelled to act in response to such a meaningful movement. He stated that during the protests, they were in the streets and felt the situation as closely as possible, which motivated them to take a step alongside Shabnam Alai, as filmmaking was the only thing they knew how to do. The film's name, 'Huban', meaning 'effort to be useful', reflects this intention. They aimed to be useful, believing that passivity was not a solution, and hoped that the film could open a path for thought and express the immense pain experienced. Regarding the film's style, artistic features, and details, 'Huban' is an experimental work that adheres to the characteristics of experimental cinema. The film tells a nonlinear story about a female cat that decides to go to the street after hearing about the execution of one of her loved ones but is arrested by a security officer at the exit of her home. Parallel to the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, events occur for this cat at home, while documentary images of the movement are displayed. They attempted to depict personal and mental spaces alongside social events. Regarding the filming conditions and challenges faced, the film was made in a highly tense environment, with calls to the streets. Moslehi's home was located on Enghelab Street, the heart of the protests in Tehran. This situation prevented them from gathering a large crew as they felt responsible and did not want anything to happen to the group members. They proceeded with a small team of six and handled almost all technical aspects themselves. Friends assisted in completing the project, but due to security reasons, he did not mention their names. Regarding the reasons for leaving the country, Moslehi stated that they knew they had to leave Iran when they decided to make the film because they did not adhere to censorship or any red lines, and they created the work with complete freedom. After finishing filming and about 80% of the editing, they left the country, and the project was completed in Turkey and sent to international festivals. In his view, being free and continuing to work within this framework is more beneficial for such a path than staying and being imprisoned, which is why he and Shabnam had to leave their homeland despite their personal desires. Regarding the film's screening and feedback, 'Huban' has not yet been publicly released and has had limited screenings at a few film festivals. Concerned Iranian audiences welcomed the film, and they screened it for some activists of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, receiving very positive feedback. Aside from technical discussions, fortunately, the film has emotionally connected with viewers, and their neutrality in depicting events has also been noted. They are working to broadcast 'Huban' through a television network or an online platform on the anniversary of the killing of Zhina Mahsa Amini.