'a stirring documentary about an iran teenage star-gazer'
enough in that to have me along to watch this true story
sepidah hooshyar is the teenager in question - loves astronomy
seen lugging her telescope up the hill at the back of her hometown
asghar kabiri is her mentor - teacher and head of the local astronomy club
he has managed to partially complete an observatory but has run out of cash
sepidah has a doting mother and brother but her dad died suddenly 6 years prior
she has made a promise to herself to make him proud of her through astronomy
early on she is up against local (male) prejudice - her uncle mohammed mainly
he flat out threatens to kill her if she continues to sneak out at night to star-gaze
the staggering thing here is that this film is not staged and thus filmed in real time
not sure how but the cameras are present for all the important conversations
sepidah writes secret letters to 'einstein' - albert presumably expressing her dreams
another hero is fellow iranian anousheh ansari - the first iranian in space in 2006
part of a joint russian/american trip to the international space station
also from a very wealthy family that wants to commercialise space
sepidah watches her journey on the internet and is transfixed
an email sent by sepidah expressing her admiration of anousheh
hers is a different story - no money in her family to fall back on
poor mum can't even afford to tend the land left by her husband
some sad scenes on the land and pleading for help from her family
mum then seen advising her daughter she cannot be her provider
so the only way forward for sepidah is some kind of scholarship
she is seen then preparing to enter a competition with that as a prize
time spent researching and documenting the cyrus palace ruins nearby
she presents a paper suggesting astronomy relevant to the construction
impressive stuff - but no prize - despair sets in - but a man to the rescue
she meets a young university professor who is willing to love and support her
the family approve - but kabiri believes as with him a spouse is distracting
and soon after sepidah resigns from the astronomy club to move on
a phone call at home from her idol sees her (and us) crying with delight
and soon after she visits anousheh at her company's headquarters
and the film then wraps - a happy ending - but not blast-off
some text in the credits advising sepidah is still into astronomy
kabiri is still wanting to complete his amateur observatory
mum still poor and waiting for rain on her dry land
so no money it seems from the ansari corporation
still - a fascinating story of a life in rural iran
stunning music too - niklas schak and tin soheili
another fine film from - women make movies inc
