I (), also known as Me, is a 2016 Iranian drama film written and directed by Soheil Beiraghi, in his feature directorial debut. The film was produced by Saeid Sa'adi and Saeid Khani and stars Leila Hatami, Amir Jadidi, Behnoush Bakhtiari, and Mani Haghighi. It was selected for the 34th Fajr Film Festival and was screened in both the Sodaye Simorgh and Negah-e No sections. The film was theatrically released in Iran on 17 August 2016.
Plot A woman living a double life earns money through illegal activities, moving through Tehran’s underground while confronting the pressures of law, society, and systems of control.
Cast
Leila Hatami as Azar Amir Jadidi as Aria Behnoush Bakhtiari as Maliheh Hamidreza Saeedikhah as Ahmad Alireza Ostadi as Amir Ali Mansour as Mojtaba Barati Saeed Ataeian as Mohsen Morteza Aghahosseini as Doctor Stephanie Kali as Alice Mani Haghighi as the reporter
Release
Iran I had its festival premiere at the 34th Fajr Film Festival on 3 February 2016. It was released theatrically in Iran on 17 August 2016.
The film opened in 14 cinemas. According to producer Saeid Khani, it grossed more than 600 million tomans during its first ten days, after expanding to 17 cinemas in Tehran and 10 cinemas in other cities. Khani said that the film became profitable during its second week of release.
The film was reported to have earned approximately three billion tomans in domestic and foreign box-office revenue by the end of its release.
International The film was screened at a number of international film festivals and cultural venues across Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North America.
Asia
15th Pune International Film Festival, Pune, India — 12–19 January 2017 China National Film Museum, Beijing, China — 23–29 August 2017 Guwahati International Film Festival, India — 28 October–2 November 2017
Europe
6th Iranian Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic — 10–21 January 2017, competition section 7th London Iranian Film Festival, London, United Kingdom — 28 October–7 November 2016 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia — 11–27 November 2016, Forum section Persian Cine Club, Geneva, Switzerland — May 2017 Iranian Film Festival Zurich, Switzerland — May 2017
Oceania
6th Iranian Film Festival Australia — 20 October–13 November 2016
North America
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, United States — 20–22 January 2017 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, United States — 26 and 28 January 2017 Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, United States — 4–5 February 2017 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States — 11 February 2017
The film was also made available through Amazon Prime Video.
Awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result 34th Fajr Film Festival 11 February 2016 Best Supporting Actor Amir Jadidi Best Supporting Actress Behnoush Bakhtiari 10th Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Awards 18 September 2016 Best Actress Leila Hatami 1st Cinema Newspaper Awards 6 June 2016 Best Actress Leila Hatami 6th Iranian Film Festival Australia 14 May 2017 Best Actress Leila Hatami 19th Iranian Cinema Celebration 21 September 2017 Best Screenplay Soheil Beiraghi Best Supporting Actress Behnoush Bakhtiari Best Sound Recording Nasser Entezari Best Sound Mixing Alireza Alavian
References