
Beach Flags
Vida is a young Iranian lifeguard. Popular on her team, she is determined to fight in order to be the one to participate in an international competition in Australia. However, when Sareh who is as fast and talented as her, joins the team, Vida will have to face an unexpected situation.
When I got interested in making a film about Iranian women swimmers, I already knew they could not participate in international competitions, but I still wanted to talk to them and hear what they had to say about it. What they told me about their hopeless situation was no surprise, but they told me about Beach Flags, the only international game women swimmers and lifeguards were able to compete in. When they explained the game to me, I immediately got this ironic image in my head: swimmers running on the beach by the sea, but not having the right to go into the water, it really drove me to write a story about it. Because it was about the strength of these women who do not give up no matter what situation they are in. Animation was also the perfect vehicle for making Beach Flags into a film; it enabled me to go to places where the camera is not allowed – the women’s swimming pool and the women’s beach. Animation gave me the freedom to tell a story without any obstacles.