LETTER TO MY MOTHER (19 Min)
"A film that shows a processing through media: a fearless and strong autobiographical examination. LETTER TO MY MOTHER chooses a radically intimate perspective. It is an examination that touches upon the center of the pain and that dares to look precisely. It finds exact scenes for despair and cruelty and searches openly for ways of coping. "
- 36th Kassel documentary International Film Festival
"A heartfelt letter to tell the mother the most painful of secrets. Amina, who in 2002 was the small protagonist of Ten by Kiarostami is now a transgender director who tries to make her voice heard, understood, and be understood."
- 35th Lovers Film Festival
Director, Producer, and Scriptwriter: Amin Maher
Cast: Dariush Baradari, Amin Maher
Director of photography: ِDavid Simon Groß
Sound Artist: Ynez de Zilón
Sound design and mix: Benedikt Ludwig, Alex F
Edit: Amin Maher
Cinematographer: Mamoun Abufarha
First Assistant Director: Niki Nemati
Sound Recordist: Adam Asnan, Ali Nikkhouy
Logline: A son pushes at the bounds of his relationship with his mother as he unpicks the psychological consequences of the violence he suffered.
Synopsis: In a bold and heartfelt cinematic letter to his mother, the filmmaker Amin Maher reveals the most painful of childhood secrets. The film explores gender confusion, sexuality, guilt and repression in relation with violence and identity. “Letter to my Mother" is a means for survival, a way to stand and speak up and to understand. It is an attempt to break taboos and push boundaries – both social and personal, and to create life and art out of the darkest experiences. There are times when cinema itself seems implicated in this difficult story, charting abuse that began at the exact time he was appearing in Abbas Kiarostami’s Ten (2002) which was nominated for the Palme d'or at Cannes film festival and featured the real-life relationship between his mother and Amin.
Color, HD, 16:9 | 20 Min | 2019, Germany-Iran
The film, Letter to my mother has received 5 international awards and more than 40 nominations.
Awards:
-
15th Mexico Shorts
Mexico City
Mexico
September 18-29, 2020
Latin American
Special Jury Mention, International Documentary Competition
-
Venice Intercultural Film Festival
Venice
Italy
May 14, 2020
National
Winner of the best short Doc on Human Rights
-
Indiex Film Festival
Los Angeles
United States
July 15, 2020
American
Winner of the Best Short Documentary
-
Impact Docs Awards
San Diego, California
United States
July 28, 2020
California
Winner of the Award of Recognition
-
12th Tagore International Film Festival
Bolpur
India
April 21, 2020
National
Winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award
Nominations:
-
36th Kassel Documentary Film Festival
Berlin
Germany
November 15, 2019
National
Nomination for the Golden Key Award
-
34th Mix Milano Film Festival
Milan
Italy
September 17, 2020
Regional
Nomination for the best short film
-
35th Lovers Film Festival
Turin
Italy
October 22, 2020
Turin
Out of Competition
-
26ème Festival du film LGBT de Paris "Chéries Chéris"
Paris
France
November 18, 2020
Paris
Official Selection
-
27th Blue Sea Film Festival
Rauma
Finland
August 21, 2020
Finnish
26th BALTIC HERRING Short Film Competition
-
23rd Indie Memphis International Film Festival
Memphis
United States
October 21, 2020
Memphis
Experimental Competition
-
22nd International Youth Media Festival YOUKI
Wels
Australia
November 17, 2020
Austrian
International Competition
-
22ND Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival
Belo Horizonte
Brazil
October 22, 2020
Brazilian
Official Selection, Political body
-
15th Mexico Shorts
Mexico City
Mexico
September 2-9, 2020
Latin American
International Documentary Competition
-
15th Mexico Shorts
INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE QUEERSHORTS (LGBTTTQ+)
Mexico City
Mexico
September 18-29, 2020
Latin American
-
15th Queer Xposed FIlm Festival
Berlin
Germany
May 10, 2021
Nomination for the Lolly Award
-
18th Cinemadamare FIlm Festival
Rome
Italy
August 5, 2020
Regional (Rome)
Main competition
-
14th Lublin International Film Festival
Lublin
Poland
November 23, 2020
Polish
Nominated for the best Short Film
-
9th Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival
Palma de Mallorca
Spain
October 23, 2020
Spanish
Official Selection
-
10th Sicilia Queer filmfest
Palermo
Italy
September 19, 2020
Queer Short Competition
-
9th Ultra Cinema
Tepic, Nay
Mexico
November 13, 2020
No Premiere
Nominated for the best Short Film
-
10th Ecrans Mixtes
Lyon
France
October 29, 2020
No Premiere
Nominated for the Exrans Mixtes Award
-
Venice Intercultural Film Festival
Venice
Italy
May 14, 2020
National
Nominated for the best short Doc on Human Rights
-
Indiex Film Festival
Los Angeles
United States
July 15, 2020
American
Nominated for the Best Short Documentary
-
Impact Docs Awards
San Diego, California
United States
July 28, 2020
California
Nominated for the best Documentary
-
12th Tagore International Film Festival
Bolpur
India
April 21, 2020
National
Nominated for the best short film
-
6th International Queer and Migrant Film Festival Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Netherlands
December 3, 2020
Netherlands
Official Selection
-
6th Secs Fest
Seattle
United States
September 11, 2020
American Premiere
Nominated for best short film
-
5th Festival Du Film Jeune De Lyon
Lyon
France
September 19, 2020
French Premiere
Nomination for the best Documentary
-
Point of PreVyou Film Festival, Babylon Kino
Berlin
Germany
April 25, 2020
Berlin Premiere
Nominated for the best short film
-
Les Mains Gauches, Queer Feminist Short Film Festival
Marseille
France
May 26, 2020
Marseille Premiere
Semi-Finalist
-
IndieX Film Festival
Los Angeles
United States
August 15, 2020
American
Nomination for the best short Documentary
-
kalakari Film Fest
Dewas, Malwa
India
August 25, 2020
Nominated for the best Short Film
-
6th Concepcion Independent Film Awards
Concepción
Chile
August 7, 2020
Chile
Official Selection
-
Humano Film Festival
Baja california
Mexico
September 17, 2020
Nomination for the best short film
-
6th Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay and Music Festival
Arlington, Massachusetts
United States
October 7, 2020
Official Selection
-
Aab International Film Festival
Punjab
India
August 8, 2020
Nomination for the best documentary
-
Alvsbyn Film Festival
Alvsbyn
Sweden
September 4, 2020
Official Selection
-
RAINBOW Cinema Awards - LGBT Film Festival
New York
United States
August 28, 2020
Semi-Finalist
-
7th INVE Plataforma Experimental de Arte
Valparaíso
Chile
December 9, 2020
Official Selection
-
3th Rangkarmi International Short Film Festival
Mumbai
India
November 27, 2020
Mumbai
Nominated for the best Short Film
-
4th Director's cut International Film Festival
British Columbia
Canada
October 02, 2020
Semi-Finalist
-
7th Proceso de Error - Festival Internacional de Video Experimental
Valparaiso
Chile
December 9, 2020
Valparaiso
Official Selection
-
Soura Film Festival
Berlin
Germany
October 4, 2020
No Premiere
Xposed Love Letters
-
Indie Shorts Awards
Buenos Aires
Argentina
November 25, 2020
Argentinian
Nomination for the best short Film