(Dark Matter / ماده تاریک)
Iran, 2023, 83min.
Writer & Directed: Karim Lakzadeh
Producer: Arash Jooyandeh
Cast: Mahdis “Shaadab” Mahdiyar, Iman Sayyadborhani, Keivan Parmar, Raha Soleimani
Synopsis:
An actor and actress are brought together during a casting for a mainstream film. They don’t get the roles, so they decide to make their own film instead. This will be a movie which defies the censorship rules, a film in which anything goes, and its makers won’t be held back by anything or anyone. The pair become a threesome when they get hold of a cameraman and director named Ziya, and the enchanting adventure can now begin. A burglary (the movie has to be financed somehow) marks the start of not only the shoot, but also a joyride, a game and a celebration of friendship and film. Dark Matter is a latter-day nod to the French New Wave and likewise a highly contemporary piece that reminds us why films are both a joy to make and to watch.
Director’s Bio:
Karim Lakzadeh (1986, Iran). Selected filmography: The Gambler (Ghomarbas, 2015, short), A Girl in the Room (Dokhtari dar mian e otagh, 2016, short), Redhead (Kalle sorkh, 2017), Dark Matter (Maade tarik, 2023).
FESTIVALS & AWARDS:
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2023, Proxima Competition
