Seven Winters in Teheran

What would you do if you were accused of murder for defending yourself against a rapist? How would you cope with the injustice and oppression of a legal system that favors the powerful over the weak? How would you fight for your life and dignity in a country where human rights are violated and women’s rights are ignored? These are the questions that Reyhaneh Jabbari faced when she was arrested, tried, and executed in Iran at the age of 26 for killing the man who attempted to rape her.

Seven Winters in Tehran is a documentary that tells her story and how she became a symbol of resistance and courage. Through personal videos, testimonies and letters, the film retraces Reyhaneh’s detention and trial, and exposes the flaws and biases of the legal system that sentenced her to death. And it shows the struggle and resilience of Reyhaneh’s family, who fought tirelessly for her release and the revision of the judgement. Seven Winters in Tehran prompts us to question the status quo, to empathize with the victims of injustice, and to support the movements for democracy and gender justice around the world.

STEFFI NIEDERZOLL
Steffi Niederzoll was born in Nuremberg in 1981. She studied audiovisual media arts at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne and the Escuela de Cine y Television in Cuba from 2001-2007. Her short films have successfully screened at numerous renowned film festivals such as Berlinale. Seven Winters in Tehran is her first documentary feature.

Red Lotus 2023

Germany/France 2023
97 Min | Color | Farsi with English subtitles

Directed by Steffi NIEDERZOLL

Cinematography Julia DASCHNER Editing Nicole KORTLÜKE Sound César FERNANDEZ BORRAS
Cast Reyhaneh JABBARI, Shole PAKRAVAN, Fereydoon JABBARI, Shahrzad JABBARI, Sharare JABBARI, Parvaneh HAJILOU, Mohammad MOSTAFAEI, Samira MOKARRAMI and the voices of Reyhaneh JABBARI and Zar Amir EBRAHIMI
World sales Cercamon