Set in 1970s Iran. Two young students from opposite ends of society meet by the sea in a time where revolution hangs in the air.
My mother had moved to the United States in the late 1970s when her own country was about to descend into civil war. She made friends with Iranian students who were partaking in the political turmoil in their country. So hearing about the Iranian Revolution was something that hovered over my childhood memories.
Why do we always see the ‘60s and the ‘70s through westernized glasses? Finding inspiration in reading novels such as Négar Djavadi’s Disoriental I set out to write the script once the world went into lockdown in those early days of Covid. The process also involved absorbing the music and images of the period, like one great and moving high. History is composed of human experiences, loss, longing, love, hate, and everything we experience on a microcosmic level in our own lives. I still remember taking a long afternoon walk through empty streets in East Los Angeles and hearing Anoushirvan Rohani’s “Raze Khelghat.” The story of the short suddenly began to form in my mind’s eye, like an unspooling film reel.
Bringing the script to life remains one of my life’s great adventures. I was luckily to have two excellent producers in Jose Gutierrez and Katia Arami. They ran a great crowdfunding campaign even as we looked for an ideal location that could evoke some corner of Iran in Southern California. It was a lesson in how you need to work with people who are serious and fun-loving, focused and adaptable. Our cast was another astonishing stroke of cinematic luck. Through a hard search we found this group of amazing thespians who came to the set with their characters and dialogue embedded in their very beings. Melancholy, beauty, intrigue and the habits of class, hints of idealism, all came alive in their performances. Seeing characters you created on the page come to life in this way was another powerful lesson in why casting is essential. Just as key is putting together a good crew and we were lucky to have the support of Higher Low Films. We vetted every crew member thoroughly and left the camera team selection to mater DP Vishal Solanki, who I carefully discussed the film’s visual texture with, before we filmed. Our goal was to evoke classic ‘70s cinema and by all accounts, we succeeded, I hope.
I came out of making Azizam with the exhilaration of wanting to do more. My day job is- as a film critic and entertainment journalist in Los Angeles. Now I understand first-hand the tireless commitment of the figures I have met and interviewed. Almost immediately after we wrapped I began researching the next short. It will be another venture into the past, this time with realms of poetry and suspense. At the risk of sounding like a spokesman, I will say Higher Low Films carries that spirit of the disciplined outlaw that cinema requires. What I mean is that it has no rules or limits in the creative process, while making sure the work is of admirable quality. Sometimes I’m up late at night trying to write the next page. Making Azizam left me with the confidence that if you have something to say there are skilled, special artists waiting to take the rest of the journey with you.
Cheers!
Alci
