Event

Overruled (53 minutes, Iran & Canada, 2016)

Overruled follows the lives and aspirations of male refugees from Afghanistan who work as “ball boys” in tennis clubs in Iran. While excelling at tennis, they come to realize that, no matter how skilled they are, they will be excluded from the sport and barred from participating in games simply because they are “Afghan.” They face discrimination, are denied permanent residency and citizenship in Iran, and live under the constant threat of detention and deportation. Should they undertake the dangerous journey and flee by land to Europe? In 2016, the documentary premiered at Hot Docs (Canada), won Best Director in the Documentary category at the Beirut International Film Festival (Lebanon), and received the Critics’ Award for Best Documentary at the Nez International Film Festival (India). Since then, it has been showcased at numerous festivals and platforms worldwide, earning several additional awards..

Following the screening, directors Farnaz Jurabchian and Mohammad Reza Jurabchian join via Zoom for a conversation moderated by Paniz Musawi Natanzi, interdisciplinary scholar of feminist and anti-colonial theory, visual culture, global politics, and war.

Farnaz Jurabchian is an award-winning Iranian/Canadian filmmaker, writer, and producer. Most of her films revolve around the notion of homeland and characters that each represent a part of society. She received her BFA in cinema from Concordia University in Montreal, and started an independent film company, ‘F&M Productions’ based in both Montreal and Iran.

Mohammad Reza Jurabchian is an award-winning Iranian/Canadian filmmaker, cinematographer, and producer. He received his BA in photography from Azad University. He was recognized as one of the best photographers of the year in the 10th Iranian National Biennial of Photography and subsequently participated in several group exhibitions in Iran. Jurabchian's works, often personal in nature, are heavily influenced by photography. He seeks to depict his relationship with the world around him and his lived experiences.

Their second documentary and first feature film "Silent House" is about their personal life and was produced in five countries: Iran, Canada, France, Philippines, and Qatar. It premiered at IDFA in 2022, earning a nomination for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature. "Silent House" won the Mitrani Award at Fipadoc in France and made the top five audience favorites at Hot Docs 2023.

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Organized by Paniz Musawi Natanzi and sponsored by the Department of Cinema & Media Studies, the Department of South Asia Studies, and the Wolf Humanities Center.