An anonymous Iranian-Writer-Director who chose to exile herself to make RISE. With no media spend, yet the power of the film-craft and storytelling alone propelled RISE to newsrooms globally.

The film captures the beauty in the rage and hope of Iranian women.

Director's statement:

"Iranian girls have never been the shrinking violets that Western media have tried to portray us as. In RISE I wanted to show the world the beauty in our rage and our hope."

Dr Maya Angelou’s estate were so moved when watching RISE, that they granted special access to use her infamous poem 'Still I Rise'.

In the winter of 2022 Iran erupted after the 'morality police' killed Mahsa Jina Amini for her improper headscarf, a female-led resistance was born.

By February 2023, the regime stated it had arrested tens of thousands of protesters.

Iranian artists, rappers, creatives, have been arrested and executed for their activism.

The topic in the film is very risky for Iranians to openly create.

Hence RISE is a world-first; never before have Iran's 'morality police' been shown killing a girl in a recreation/drama.

This means there were real sacrifices involved in the making of RISE - many of the Iranian creatives involved have exiled themselves from ever returning to see their families in Iran again, and this was a heavy emotional decision. And there is risk of retribution to those who do return.

Consequently, the female Writer-Director, who is a dual national of the UK and Iran, has remained anonymous and is using an alias. However, she felt it crucial to tell this story - no matter the personal cost.

The EP was a political female refugee, as were both of the lead actresses, giving them a voice and a platform was an important part in conveying the overall message of the film.

Based on real-life accounts from Iranian refugees.

The film shows the day in the life of Niloo, a joyous 16-year-old teenager in Iran.

Niloo’s story takes a turn when the ‘morality police’ grab her off the street for her ‘improper’ hijab. She fights back, but she’s flung into the back of a van and taken to a ‘re-education’ centre.

There they interview her, and a female officer is shocked by the level of violence unleashed on the young girl by her colleague.

All the while we hear Maya Angelou's ‘Still I Rise’ being read by a powerful VO.

From every kick and punch she receives, a butterfly is then born from her lifeless body.

And when she dies, flowers grow from her corpse.

Symbolising the birth of a revolution that started from pain.

Situation:

The brand had always veered towards docu-style content - due to the very small budgets available.

However, there was a push by the Writer-Director to approach their brief differently - by not allowing the budget to confine them.

As there was already too much reportage content & people were desensitised.

She chose beauty and rage in a style that would arrest the viewer.

Brief:

The charity gives a voice to global female issues, create content that showcases the true sentiment of the #WomanLifeFreedom movement from the perspective of Iranian women.

£40k for production only, and no media budget.

Objectives:

By the spring-summer of 2023, the conversation of Woman Life Freedom had died down, the aim was to keep the sentiment of the movement alive through film and bring Iranian female voices to the forefront of the production and comms, and storytelling.

“Rise is my debut film, I had to grieve and direct at the same time, as I was choosing exile by making this film.

After we had two drop-outs for the lead role last-minute (due to their fears), I knew I had to embed myself into the actors' mental-health. I lived and workshopped with them intensely for 48 hours using our shared pain to add real emotion.

In the lead up, I’d interviewed dozens of Iranians and drew on my own-personal-experiences with the morality police to portray every minutia details. Every-single-frame, every-palette-and-pantone shade, every-sound-effect had to feel truly Iranian so was painstakingly researched.

I wanted to create something that drew from a Persian-culture of poetry, an ode to feminist-resistance but most of all something that was worth taking the risk for.

Throughout-filming, I kept thinking this is how I feel about my Iran, beauty and pain."