13/02/2023 - Vlad Petri's hybrid film mixes politics with poetry, and past with present, in the story of the friendship between a Romanian woman and an Iranian one in between the revolutions in their countries

The second feature-length film by Romanian director Vlad Petri, Between Revolutions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vlad Petri
film profile], will have its world premiere in the Berlinale's Forum section in a few days’ time. Cineuropa exclusively brings you the trailer.

Through a series of letters, Between Revolutions tells the story of Zahra and Maria, who met at university in Bucharest in the 1970s and formed a deep friendship. As political turmoil brews in Iran, Zahra is forced to return home, leaving Maria behind. Over the next decade, and divided by two revolutions – the revolution against the Shah's dictatorship in Iran and the one in Romania against the Ceaușescu regime – they maintain their connection through a series of letters, chronicling their struggles as women fighting for a voice, with their respective countries moving in diverging directions. Despite the distance and the obstacles, their longing for each other remains strong.

The letters are inspired by archives from the Secret Police and by poems by two leading female writers from Romania and Iran – Nina Cassian and Forugh Farrokhzad. They are penned by Romanian author Lavinia Braniște, who wrote the script together with Petri.

“I was born in 1979, the year when the Iranian Revolution took place, and I was ten years old when the revolution in my country against the Ceaușescu regime happened. I believe that these two revolutions are some of the most important political events of the 20th century,” explains Petri. “Between Revolutions is a film that mixes politics with poetry, intimate stories with state-controlled propaganda, letters with archives and, against the backdrop of recent events in Iran, past with present.”

The film is Petri’s second feature as a director, after Where Are You Bucharest?, which premiered at Rotterdam in 2014.

Between Revolutions was produced by Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan for Romanian outfit Activ Docs, in co-production with Oliver Sertić for Croatian production company Restart and with support of the Doha Film Institute. The film previously won the DAFilms.com Distribution Award at Docu Talents from the East (Sarajevo Film Festival 2022), the Best Pitch Award at the dok.incubator preview during IDFA 2022 and the Work in Progress Award at Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest in 2021. Its international sales are handled by CAT&Docs.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: