A Beginning for the Final Songs of a River, 70min., Germany, Documentary
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
•
1h 9m
Filmed over six years, this documentary follows the changing fate of the Zayandeh Rood river in Iran. Through the perspectives of local farmers and communities, it portrays the environmental and social challenges linked to water use and policies. With a poetic yet reflective tone, the film illustrates the river’s cycle of opening and closing as a metaphor for endurance and hope.
https://www.facebook.com/meysam.oghbaei
https://www.instagram.com/meysam.oghbaei/
Director Statement
For me, the Zayandeh Rood is more than a river — it is a mirror of a nation’s soul. Over six years, I followed its transformations: the silence of its dry bed and the voices of those whose lives were bound to its waters. This film was born from a profound urge to preserve memory, to capture the fragility of nature, and to reveal how environmental crises intertwine with social realities. My aim was not merely to make a documentary, but to create a poetic testimony — a cinematic song of resilience, loss, and hope.
Up Next in DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
-
Watch CAMERA AND BODY, 4min., Documen...
I dedicated my video to the camera and the body. I tried to tell my own story about a body trapped in chaos, silence, pain and helplessness. And about a camera that helped me free my body and find my authentic language.
https://instagram.com/andrejkaart/
Directed by Andrejka Skračić
Cast: Vana...
-
Watch Life with AREZOU, 15min., Iran,...
It is about AREZOU(Rural girls with disabilities) and her family.....
Directed by Amirali Mirderikvand
-
GROCERY SHOPPING, 38min., USA, Docume...
I am at the grocery store three to five times a week. It has become a ritual, picking out the items, going over the shopping list, interacting with the same people year after year. It seems to me, an important aspect of my and many other people’s lives. Something utterly familiar. Though filmed i...
