(Jama’at) – A Film by Sahand Kabiri
70 min | Fiction | Iran | 2025 | In Farsi with English subtitles
World Premiere: International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025
A group of Gen-Z/Millennial friends plan a goodbye for their friend, while coming face-to-face with, but pushing back at, patriarchal realities. Sahand Kabiri presents a personal portrait of middle-class young adult life in contemporary Tehran: vibrant and defiant.
As Raman prepares to migrate out of Iran, his friends plot the perfect way to celebrate his impending departure. However, their path is plagued with conflict: an unresolved argument over the accidental death of a friend and a conservative elder brother who looks upon their lives with disdain, further resolves to stop the celebration. With The Crowd, Sahand Kabiri brings his debut feature to IFFR. Shot over the course of 12 days with a crisp but playful visual style, the film shows a portrait of middle-class, digital-aged Gen-Z/Millennials in Tehran and beset with affectionate platonic love. While acting as a breath of fresh air, The Crowd has just as much a sense of rebellion as maestros of Iranian cinema, made afresh for a younger generation. Dappled with collage elements and framed with Iran’s present-day atmosphere, The Crowd is a touching tribute to those leaving and those who have left. – Olivia Popp, IFFR Website
Director, Screenwriter and Producer: Sahand Kabiri
Cinematography: Hamed Hosseini Sangari
Editing: Mohamad Najarian, Shafagh Abosaba
Sound Design: Amirhossein Ghassemi
Cast:
Keyvan Mohammadi, Razieh Mansouri, Shoja Giahi, Baset Rezaei, Rambod Motallebi, Dorsa Shirazi, Javid Ghaem Maghami, Aram Tahmasebi, Katayoun Saleki, Mohsen Khoeiniha, Faraaz Modiri.
Festivals and Awards:
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025– The Netherlands/ World Premiere
Istanbul Film Festival 2025– Turkey/ Winner of the Special Jury Prize
Seattle International Film Festival 2025– US Premiere
The Crowd (Jama’at) by Sahand Kabiri is the first film curated by Nazanin Mehraein in the new screening series Vision: Iran’s Contemporary.