Close friends Pari (Mahshad Bahram) and Hanna (Hana Mana) are the nucleus of a group of young theater artists and performers in present-day Tehran’s underground art scene. Pari is a director, performing experimental plays that blur the lines of art and life, rehearsals spilling into long, carefree evenings of food and conversation. Hana creates carefree dance videos she posts online, performed on Tehran’s streets.
Both are creators working without government permission. They demand the freedom to live as they choose, lightly sidestepping the risk of not wearing a hijab or creating work that shines a light on repression. When their circle is exposed, the length the friends and their community will go to to secure freedom is illuminated.
Bahram’s real life improv theater group was the inspiration for first-time Sundance writer-directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei. Filming on the streets was both thrilling and dangerous. They explain, “We wanted to show that resistance is everyday life. These kids that are protesting now, they want to have a life where they can be free.”
The script feels improvisational, the performances loose, as befits a film about an underground art scene. There is great intimacy in Bahhram and Mana’s performances; the settings, whether a white box theater, a cozy apartment or city streets pulsate with energy. While a bit more editing would have tightened the narrative, “Friends House is Here” offers a rare portrait of modern Tehran’s street life and youth culture that upturns expectations.
On the KPCW sun rating system, “Friend House Is Here” receives 4 suns out of 5.
