And, Towards Happy Alleys is a 2023 Indian documentary film by Sreemoyee Singh. Shot in the form of a travel diary, it contains conversations with Iranian filmmakers, actors, scholars, and activists.[1] The film premiered at 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.[2][3]
| And, Towards Happy Alleys | |
|---|---|
 And, Towards Happy Alleys film poster | |
| Directed by | Sreemoyee Singh |
| Written by | Sreemoyee Singh |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Sreemoyee Singh |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Persian |
The documentary was shot over a course of seven years.[4] It features Iranian director Jafar Panahi as well as two sisters; Aida Mohammadkhani and Mina Mohammadkhani, who appeared as child actors in Panahi's films The White Balloon (1995) and The Mirror (1997), respectively.[5] Other personalities featured in the film include Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Shirvani as well as human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh.[6]
Reception
editSantanu Das of Hindustan Times wrote, "Singh's documentation is as much a love letter to Iranian Cinema as it is a reminder of the importance of activism, culminating into a profound denouement with Farrokhza's verses. It gently illuminates the mind."[7] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote, "Its strength stems from the way it sees and recognises light in - and at the end of - a tunnel of darkness."[8]
References
edit- ^ "'And, Towards Happy Alleys' Gives Us a Candid Look at Life in Iran". The Wire. Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2023-02-20). "Sreemoyee Singh's Seven Year Journey to Making Berlinale Documentary 'And, Towards Happy Alleys' With Iran's Jafar Panahi". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ Ghosh, Chandrakala (13 January 2024). "For documentary filmmaking, the only way to go is by your instincts: Sreemoyee Singh". The Telegraph (India). Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Never felt like it was not my story: Sreemoyee Singh on her Iran-set documentary 'And, Towards Happy Alleys'". Hindustan Times. Press Trust of India. 4 October 2024.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (2024-06-18). "In an Indian film about Iranian cinema, poetry, protest and connections across language". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Sreemoyee Singh's 'And, Towards Happy Alleys': Seven years in Iran". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 2024-06-01. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Das, Santanu (29 June 2023). "And, Towards Happy Alleys review: A tender, moving snapshot of Iranian cinema and censorship". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (11 November 2023). "MAMI 2023: Top Ten Discoveries At The Festival". NDTV. Mumbai. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
