Celluloid Underground
Ehsan Khoshbakht / GB, 2023 / 80 min.
Autobiographical documentary by Iranian filmmaker Ehsan Khoshbakht about his friendship with the mysterious Ahmad, a maverick film collector who hid thousands of banned 35mm film prints and posters in basements in downtown Tehran, to save them from the fundamentalist fanatics. Celluloid Underground screens on the occasion of UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.
In 2005, UNESCO adopted 27 October as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, with the aim of making people aware of the importance of audiovisual documents and focusing attention on the necessity of retaining these. Many heritage bodies worldwide celebrate this day by organising public events every year.
Celluloid Underground is an autobiographical feature-length documentary by Iranian filmmaker, writer and curator Ehsan Khoshbakht, about his experience of growing up in Iran after the 1979 revolution, when his love of cinema became the catalyst for his rebellion against the Islamic regime.
Born just after the revolution, Ehsan grew up obsessed with all the movies he wasn’t allowed to see. He became Ahmad’s closest collaborator in the underground cinematheque, before escaping to a new life in London.
In Celluloid Underground, Ehsan celebrates the power of cinema to resist tyranny, and the unsung heroism of the friend who changed his life. From the pain of his exile, he questions whether their shared obsession was worth the price they each paid for it.
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Details
Director
Ehsan Khoshbakht
Production year
2023
Country
GB
Original title
Celluloid Underground
Length
80 min.
Language
English, Persian
Subtitles
ENG
Format
DCP
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