Film shot in secret of Iranian arts scene hits UK festival

LONDON

The film was shot using a small camera and sound equipment hidden in a bag.

Shot in secret in Tehran, “The Friend’s House Is Here,” screened at the London Film Festival, is a “love letter” to young Iranian artists navigating war and political restrictions, its directors told AFP.

The film follows two best friends and roommates, Pari, a playwright and actress, and Hana, a dancer, who belong to an underground community of young artists. Pari stages plays without seeking authorization from Iranian authorities.

Directed by husband-and-wife team Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei, the film won a Special Jury
Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It is scheduled for release in the United States on Dec. 4.

The production faced major challenges, including US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in June 2025 and subsequent internet shutdowns. The filmmakers said they wanted to portray artists continuing to live and create despite the turmoil.

Ataei said the couple had been inspired by underground theatre performances in Tehran and by artists arrested after posting dance videos or performing in secret. They also wanted to highlight independent women living together and supporting one another.

The film was shot clandestinely over several weeks in September and October 2025, using a small camera and sound equipment hidden in a bag. Some scenes were rehearsed on iPhones. Filming was particularly difficult outdoors, where the actresses appeared without headscarves, defying Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.

The directors described the experience as joyful but urgent, fearing another war could erupt before filming was completed.

In December 2025, as anti-government protests erupted and authorities imposed a nationwide communications blackout, the film’s sound mixing was nearing completion in Iran. Just a week before Sundance, a member of the team smuggled the film across the Turkish border on a hard drive concealed among footage from a religious film.

Keshavarz said the directors were deeply honoured by the team member’s courage. The couple has not returned to Iran since filming ended and does not know whether they will be allowed back.

The actors, however, remain in Tehran and continue performing. Keshavarz said their determination to live and create despite the difficulties was inspiring.