Between Dreams and Hope

Farnoosh Samadi opens a window onto a queer Iran in her bold and visionary thriller about a couple in search of liberation.

Azad lives with his girlfriend Nora in Tehran. They want to get married, but because Azad is a trans man, the regime requires him to undergo gender-affirming treatment before their marriage can become legal. The only problem is that Azad’s distant father must approve the procedure. In despair, Azad and Nora travel out to the family farm to finally free themselves from the family’s shackles once and for all. Between Dreams and Hope offers a different portrait of Iran and the reality faced by the country’s queer population, surprising with a love thriller that is as gripping as it is cathartic.

• Annie Karlsson