My Stolen Planet

Using the essayistic style of a diary, My Stolen Planet traces how the Islamic Revolution changed life for women in Iran. Born in 1979, Sharifi draws on personal archives and found 8mm recordings of strangers’ lives to show moments of private joy and public defiance under the regimented oppression in Tehran. Throughout, she portrays Iranian women with humanity and complexity, sharing her love for her country’s textures while refusing to be diminished by repressive religious and government structures. A collective representation of women’s lives in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the film is also characterized by personal intimacy. Watching her mother suffer from Alzheimer’s, Sharifi sees first-hand how quickly stories—personal and societal—can be forgotten, motivating her to document her unique history and perspective. A stunning visual collage of dancing and singing contrasted with public acts like burning hijabs in the streets, the film is simultaneously a beautiful reclamation of memory and a brave act of resistance. By the end of the film, she has an artist’s residency in Berlin that reveals the power of community in exile. In Persian with English subtitles. (82 mins., DCP)

My Stolen Planet premiered at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, where it won the second place Panorama Documentary Audience Award. It has gone on to win a dozen other significant awards across the globe.

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IMAGE CAPTION
My Stolen Planet, courtesy of the filmmaker.