Los Angeles Premieres

Iran-born Mania Akbari collaborated with British sculptor Douglas White for A Moon for My Father. Shaped as an exchange of letters—in Farsi and English—the film resumes Akbari’s self-portrayal as a cancer survivor initiated with 10 + 4 (Dah be alaveh Chahar, REDCAT, 2007). Years later, in London, the cancer is back, forcing radical changes in her body, and prompting a fascinating dialogue with White’s practice, which involves sculpting with rubber and skin-like material. Turning herself into a medical experiment, a latex sculpture, Akbari investigates the connection between her body and Iran’s political history. A painter and video artist, Akbari inspired Kiarostami to cast her as the driver in Ten (2002); since 2003, she has directed eight films that have screened internationally and received numerous awards. 

In person: Mania Akbari