Actress Sara Zommorodi’s quick movie urging Sweden’s authorities to assist ladies’s rights protests in Iran — which incorporates 43 of the nation’s celebrities, administrators and authors — screened on the Swedish Guldbagge Awards, the nation’s highest movie honors, in Stockholm Monday night. 

Titled Girls Life Freedom – In Solidarity With the Courageous Girls of Iran, the movie options a few of Swedens most notable feminine actors, administrators, authors and recording artists talking the phrases “zan, zendegi, azadi,” Farsi for “ladies, life, freedom,” the slogan of the anti-government protests which have rocked Iran over the previous a number of months.

Zommorodi got here to Sweden from Iran when she was two and is a well-recognized face on Swedish movie and TV, greatest recognized for roles within the Netflix drama Caliphate and the Swedish animated program Lika Males Olika.

“It’s actually been superb and so touching,” Zommorodi mentioned in regards to the Guldbagge screening. “I’m simply so completely happy that they wished to indicate the movie. Being an actor and actress myself, I understand how arduous it’s to battle to get your concept and your voice by. Then for those who add that everyone doesn’t stay in a democracy and also you could be hanged or tortured in your utilizing your voice.”

Zommorodi was working on-set in Spain when she first heard of the protests in Iran, sparked by the demise in police custody of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly failing to appropriately put on her hijab, or spiritual headband. Iranian authorities have violently cracked down on the protests however the female-led motion has impressed worldwide assist. Final October, a number of outstanding French actresses, together with Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, and Isabelle Huppert posted movies of them chopping their very own hair in solidarity with the Iran protestors.

“The ladies in Iran are actually displaying us how vital it’s to collectively say no and to collectively increase our voices for a rustic, for a life or a world the place you may stay in freedom and might let your hair out, dance and kiss any individual,” mentioned Zommorodi. 

Among the many actresses featured in her quick movie, launched together with Swedish ladies’s journal Femina, is Swedish star Noomi Rapace, well-known as Lisbeth Salander within the Millennium trilogy and for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

“She was touched by the range within the movie and with all of the totally different ladies concerned,” Zommorodi mentioned. “To have her take part has me feeling as if I’m heading in the right direction.” 

Different members within the movie embrace director Alvarez Mesen (Clara Sola), best-selling crime creator Camilla Läckberg (The Ice Princess) and Swedish pop star Molly Sandén.

“Our function with the movie was to indicate that totally different ladies from totally different ethnical backgrounds assist this motion,” mentioned Zommorodi. “It was actually vital as I’ve labored quite a bit with range within the movie trade. So for me that was additionally crucial to indicate ladies displaying solidarity with ladies in Iran and that they weren’t alone.”

Zommorodi says she hopes the quick movie will function a basis for presidency officers in Sweden to get entangled in additional direct assist of the protesters in Iran.

“I’m completely happy and unhappy on the similar time,” she mentioned. “I want that we might all do extra, however artwork is only one method. Now we want our flesh pressers to step ahead. We want them to step ahead and take actions for the folks. For this reason what we did was so vital.”