프로그램 노트

Program Note

Director Narges Kalhor has changed her name. She has removed her middle name, “Shahid,” which means “martyr.” That name carried the legacy of her great grandfather, who was celebrated as a martyr over a hundred years ago in Iran, and stood as a symbol of a history of oppression and sacrifice, of blood and death, of a patriarchal world preserved in the name of tradition. Narges Kalhor resolutely breaks that chain, choosing instead to speak and live through a name she has claimed for herself.

And that's not all. She is now living in exile in Germany, where she continues her artistic resistance and political expression through her work. The film Shahid captures the autobiographical path and artistic endeavor of this fiery creator. Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, this docu-fiction film dreams up a film within a film, separates the cinematic world from the world outside of it, and stitches them back together anew. 

From indoor stages to city streets, the film transforms every space into a theatrical site—part play, part performance, part musical. It’s an unruly and daring hybrid of genres, mixing satire, joy, provocation, and resistance. From indoor stages to city streets, the film transforms every space into a theatrical arena—part play, part performance, part musical. It is a wild and audacious hybrid of genres, blending satire, delight, provocation, and resistance. There's a thrill in encountering a work that refuses to conform to given conditions, shatters stereotypes, and boldly rewrites the rules of the game. (JEONG Jihye)