RISE used the power of film to humanise the intangible, capturing the defiant spirit of Iran's #WomanLifeFreedom.

In the words of the Writer-Director:

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

Dr Maya Angelou’s estate was so moved when watching RISE, that they granted special access for us to use her feminist 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 unleashed in response.

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 with connections to the country.

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.

She also chose political refugees to star in the leading roles, both the lead actress and the female officer are political refugees, we had to find activists who had already been outspoken against the regime to star in the leading roles, as those who had not spoken out yet, were often still travelling to Iran.

Throughout the campaign giving the refugee cast a platform to speak became 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 like the many lionesses of Iran, 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.

From every splutter of blood a butterfly springs 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. And not allowing the budget to confine them.

As there was already too much reportage content around the topic & people had become desensitised.

She chose a 'poetic style' that reflected Persian culture. Also showing a beauty and rage that would arrest the viewer.

Brief:

The charity gives a voice to global female issues, create content that showcases the true sentiment of the Woman Life Freedom 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, keep the sentiment of the movement alive through film and bring Iranian women at the forefront of the PR comms when doing so.

All organic reach, no media spend.

• Screened at major 48-hour sit-in during July outside the ‘Foreign Office’ thousands of signatures gathered with the aim to get the morality police disbanded.

• The female Iranian Exec-Producer & actresses (who are refugees) spoke about Rise on global platforms like; MSNBC NEWS with 1.35 million in America & MANATO TV, over 40 million viewers across Europe and Middle East. Variety Magazine with 28.5 million unique users, allowing them to convey the message that "gender apartheid is a crime".

• First Oscar-nominated film made by an anonymous director.

• Notable figures, TV presenter Laura Whitmore, Omid Djalili, star of The Mummy and the Gladiator, Oscar-Nominated, actress Shoreh Agdashloo, who starred alongside Ben Kingsley in “House of Sand and Fog” all organically sharing the film on their socials.

Succeeded in bringing Iranian female voices to the world of politics, art, entertainment.