Film shot in secret of Iranian arts scene hits UK festival

Shot in secret in Tehran, "The Friend's House Is Here" shown at the London Film Festival, is a "love letter" to young Iranian artists caught up in the turbulence of war, its directors told AFP.

The feature film, which had to be smuggled out of Iran, explores the daily lives of best friends and roommates in Tehran -- Pari, a playwright and actress, and Hana, a dancer.

They belong to a community of young, underground artists who collaborate on projects such as Pari's plays performed in secret because she refuses to seek authorisation from the Iranian authorities.

"The Friend's House Is Here," directed by husband and wife team, Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei, won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It will be released in the United States on 4 December.

It is a huge achievement for a film that nearly did not see the light of day due to the hurdles posed by the US-Israeli 2025 bombings in Tehran as well as the authorities cutting internet communications.

"We want to show that within this kind of tumultuous time, these people are still living their lives and still doing their art," Keshavarz told AFP.

While he is glad the world is discovering this "love letter" to the Iranian people and an "amazing generation of artists", the experience has been "bittersweet".

"The war (with the United States) is basically never ending ... the economy is really in a free fall. So, it's a very difficult time in Iran," said the filmmaker, who along with his wife Ataei has divided his time between the United States and Iran for some 20 years.

'Independent women'

In Tehran "we used to go to see so many underground plays ... and when we met this group of improve actors we were so inspired", Ataei said.

The filmmakers decided to highlight the lives of these young actors, drawing inspiration from artists arrested after posting dance videos or performing in secret.

They also wanted to show "independent women and girls that are living together" and "helping each other", the director said.

But in the middle of preparations, the couple was awakened by Israeli and US strikes on Tehran in June 2025.

The film was shot clandestinely over a few weeks between September and October last year, using a small camera and sound equipment concealed in a bag.

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For outdoor scenes, "usually, it was me and Hossein and the sound guy was somewhere far away from us. Sometimes we were only rehearsing with our iPhone" before the actual shoot, Ataei said.

Even on the streets or in cafés, the actresses do not wear the headscarf, like many Iranian women in defiance of the law, she pointed out.

That made filming "more difficult" especially as the movie was shot in continuous takes, including scenes where the characters walk through Tehran.

Act of courage

Filming was "joyous" resulting in a film that feels "very alive", said Keshavarz.

"When we were shooting it, the whole time, we were saying 'we have to finish quickly because there's going to be another war'."

In December 2025, the film's sound mixing was nearing completion in Iran when anti-government protests erupted.

The regime's crackdown left thousands dead, according to NGOs, and was accompanied by a nationwide communications blackout.

Just a week before the Sundance festival, a member of the team drove to the Turkish border smuggling the film on a hard drive, hidden among the rushes of a religious film.

The directors were deeply "honoured" by this act of courage, said Keshavarz.

Since filming wrapped, the couple has not returned to Iran, nor do they know if they will be granted permission to do so. As for the actors, they still live in Tehran and continue to perform.

"I think that's really inspiring that despite all this crazy stuff that's put on them, they're still living life the way they want to," Keshavarz said.